As Thomas Kittle looks at his future, settling is not in the picture.
“I have always thought that if I set my goals high, then I have nothing to lose,” Kittle says. “DU gave me an immense amount of knowledge of my area of study, which creates the perfect basis for what I am going to learn in the future.”
Kittle, a vocal performance major, will graduate June 6 with a bachelor of music from the Lamont School of Music.
When Kittle came to DU, he had little performance experience. His first year, he performed more than 16 times in front of an audience, including the lead role in The Music Man.
Catherine Kasch, lecturer in the Lamont voice department, says Kittle was thrust on stage in many productions and met the task.
“When I first met him, I thought he had one of the most beautiful voices that I had ever heard from an 18-year-old,” Kasch says. “I think Kittle has everything it takes to have a top flight career in the operatic world.”
Sara Bardill, lecturer in the voice department, also met Kittle when he first came to DU. She says his voice was unusually mature.
“He expressed an innate musicality that I found very rare,” she says. “It has been a great pleasure to watch him develop his natural gifts into the artistry that he has achieved today.”
Kittle credits all his vocal coaches, including Professor Ken Cox, for pushing him.
“It’s because of this work ethic that DU and Ken have taught me that I’ll be able to go into most situations, professional and personal, feeling prepared,” he says.
Kittle will attend Indiana University to pursue a graduate degree in opera and eventually sing professionally with the top opera companies in the United States.
“I’m always reaching for something and never settling for less than my dreams,” Kittle says.
For more information or to watch streaming video of DU’s commencement ceremony, please visit DU’s commencement Web site.