Mary Stevens/Daily Mining Gazette Singers Darrius Morton (left) and Maitri White (right) perform a duet for Houghton Elementary students on May 28.

HOUGHTON — On Wednesday, more than a hundred elementary and high school students in Houghton had the privilege of attending a preview of the Pine Mountain Music Festival’s operatic performances. Soprano Maitri White and tenor Darrius Morton, both from Marquette, sang three pieces for the students, and answered questions about their musical careers. Both will perform in this year’s Pine Mountain Music Festival.

White got her performing start at only six years old, in theater. She also played viola in orchestra and sang in her school’s choir, along with taking private voice lessons. She went on to graduate with a degree in vocal performance from the University of Michigan and is currently working on her master’s. “Classical music is really what motivates me and inspires me,” White said. She added that her first exposure to opera was with the Pine Mountain Music Festival, when she saw one of their performances in Marquette.

Despite his success in the industry, Darrius Morton never saw himself as a professional musician. “Being a young student athlete, I never took my studies with music as something that I wanted to pursue as a career. I’d always been involved in public school choir, and always very much enjoyed my experience … it was something that I found to be very intimate and very expressive.”

As Morton prepared for college, he began experiencing memory issues due to several concussions sustained while playing sports all his life. He decided he needed to make a change, and chose to become a music educator. “I originally intended to go to college [for football], but after several concussions, I became an opera singer.” Morton jokingly told the students.

“I was a music education major, and I quickly learned that I was very interested in singing.”

Morton graduated from St. Olaf College with a vocal performance degree. He’s performed with the Minnesota Opera, and has been involved in productions in Houston, Des Moines and elsewhere He and his wife settled in the Upper Peninsula. “I’ve been blessed to be a part of the musical community at Marquette, contributing at local churches and with the local organizations there, the orchestras and choirs there, and I also now teach voice at Northern Michigan University.”

Morton became involved with Pine Mountain Music after a church member where he sings, who also happened to be on the board for the festival, approached his wife, asking if he would audition for the 2024 UPStarts program. “I was awarded a position with the UPStarts program, and I’ve been involved ever since.” he said.

When discussing their upcoming performances with the festival, Morton and White made it clear these shows are for everyone. “You can be of any background to enjoy these recitals,” White said. “The really enjoyable thing about classical singing is it’s all about the unamplified human voice. A.I. can’t do opera.”

The shows will feature a variety of plots, such as love triangles, mysteries, turbulent relationships, and family matters, with some comedy sprinkled in. “I think the stories we’re going to be portraying are very, very relatable, and they’re some of the more timeless moments in the operatic repertoire.” Morton said. Finally, White encouraged attendees to have fun with the program. “You can get dressed up! It’s fun to come to the opera and have a little glamorous experience.”

The full schedule of events for the Pine Mountain Music Festival can be found online at pinemountainmusicfestival.com.