Quigley-Duggan Goes Out on a High Note

BY EMILY KESEL

For Dr. Susan Quigley-Duggan, a lifelong career of music had its roots in the fantastical world of Disney. So it was only fitting that her last Opera Workshop as full-time faculty at Central Methodist University was full of “Frolic, Folly, and Fairytales.”

She can’t remember the name of the song itself, but the tune of it still comes back to her easily as she recalls the roots of her musical life.

“My first recollection is that my brother and I used to swing in the backyard and sing together, the Walt Disney tunes from way back,” she said. “We had a neighbor, a little old lady down the street, who called my mother and said, ‘You ought to give those kids music lessons. They sound pretty good!’”

Their mother took that advice, and Quigley-Duggan began piano and voice lessons, but it wasn’t until college at the University of Hartford (Connecticut) that she was introduced to opera. She got the chance to play some roles in her first year and fell in love with the discipline.

“We had a really great Hungarian professor who loved to teach us about acting, drama, and so forth and how to move on the stage and evoke emotions,” she said. “If you want to sing and develop your voice, [opera] requires development for fine voice, and plus you can move with the music and the music is so dramatic. I just enjoyed it.”

More than 30 years later, her enjoyment hasn’t waned, whether she’s teaching in

The CMU Opera Workshop performs “Frolic, Folly, and Fairytales.”

the classroom, directing another opera workshop, or driving a van full of singers to Illinois for a competition. And while teaching a subject that some may consider “elitist” at a small school may come with its challenges, Quigley-Duggan has always met them head-on and with an attitude of intent to see her students learn and thrive.

“I always just loved the students, teaching them and seeing them grow from freshman to senior year. They’re so passionate about learning – most of them,” she joked. “The ones that are in it because they love it are just so inspiring to me to teach them to do the best they can.”

Often throughout her 16 years at Central, that teaching has come in the form of shaping future teachers. Quigley-Duggan says her purpose was two-fold: to give people performance skills necessary to develop their voice, and also to get teachers out into the state of Missouri that could address vocal development for the next generation.

“I worked very hard to make sure my students really understood pedagogy and teaching,” she said. “I tried to focus my energy on having them understand how a voice works, the anatomy of it, and how to teach older students versus younger students.

“[My students who became teachers] are doing a really good job, and I feel good about that. After 16 years I have about 2025 teachers out there making some kind of impact in a global way,” she said.

One of those teachers is 2011 CMU graduate Lacey Gladden, who also now serves as an adjunct professor of voice at Central and says she’s truly grateful for everything she learned from Quigley-Duggan.

“Dr. Duggan not only provided an endless wealth of knowledge, but she was incredibly supportive in all her students’ endeavors. She gave each student her heart and soul, rejoiced with us when we accomplished something amazing, and lifted us up when life was just too much,” said Gladden. “It is because of her that I can provide my own students with techniques for healthy singing habits. I hope to be able to channel her work ethic and empathy throughout my career. I could not have asked for a more amazing mentor.”

Now that she’s finished navigating her final semester as a full-time professor, one that she called one of “the most chaotic” of her career, Quigley-Duggan is looking forward to slowing down a bit. She doesn’t plan to be away from teaching for long.

“I don’t think I’m the kind of person that’s going to be able to retire totally,” she said, adding that she’s already looking to work as an adjunct or to direct community theatre and opera. “It’s just what drives my reason to be, so the thought of sitting in a rocking chair and shifting to something else is just not that appealing to me.”

All the opera fans in Fayette would surely be interested in whatever she has to offer next.

Above: Dr. Susan Quigley-Duggan joins her students for a group picture ahead of her final opera season at Central. Below/left: Quigley-Duggan is recognized as professor emeritus by Dr. Roger Drake. Below/right: Rob Brown and Hailey Sage perform at Quigley-Duggan’s last show.