*Contact Information
Robert.Thieme@mail.wvu.edu
Phone: (304) 293.5511. x3183
2249-A Creative Arts Center
Robert Thieme
Professor
Director of the WVU Opera Theatre
Accompanying, Vocal Coordinator
Robert Thieme, has served as the Director of the WVU Opera Theatre since 1985 and became the Coordinator of Vocal Studies in 1996. His experience includes conducting and staging opera, operetta and musical theatre productions. He has also worked as a collaborative artist with singers and instrumentalists throughout the US and in Europe. He has been the principal keyboardist with the Wheeling Symphony and has worked on operatic productions with the West Virginia and Corpus Christi Symphonies, and the Augusta, Chautauqua, Columbus and Orlando Opera companies.
His teaching responsibilities include a two-semester course in vocal repertoire, vocal accompanying, diction courses in English, Italian, Spanish, German and French and an advanced repertoire class for DMA vocalists.
In 2003 Professor Thieme was appointed Co-artistic Director of the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, a summer training program for vocalists, pianists and instrumentalists. Since 1987, he had been on the AIMS faculty as Studienleiter responsible for the preparation of all vocalists involved in public performance with the orchestra and in 1996 he became Dean. Professor Thieme currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Opera Association as the Editor of the NOA Opera Journal. He is also a member of National Association of Teachers of Singing where he has held office as Governor of West Virginia and President of the Tri-States Chapter. Professor Thieme holds degrees in piano performance and studied opera with Walter Ducloux and Leonard Treash.