Las Cruces actor, singer has July 27 fundraiser concert

Las Cruces actor, singer, dancer Brianna Horvath didn’t get to study abroad during her tenure at New Mexico State University because of the pandemic. But that isn’t stopping her now.

Horvath, who graduated from NMSU in 2022, will spend this fall studying classical voice with opera professionals in Italy. She did her own research and found the post-graduate program she wanted: Accademia Europea di Firenze in Florence.

To help pay her expenses during her nearly four months abroad, Horvath is performing in a fundraising concert, “Canzoni per L’anima: Songs for the Soul,” 7 p.m. Thursday, July 27, at First Christian Church, 1809 El Paseo Road, across from Las Cruces High School.

The suggested donation is $20. Anyone 16 years old or young will be admitted free.

Performing in concert with Horvath will be Peyton Womble, Alysssa Gose and Ethan Trujillo. Barbara Toth will be the accompanist.

In Florence, Horvath will participate in workshops with two former opera singers and a piano accompanist, she said. Her instruction will also include classes and live performances, along with “a lot of one-on-one instruction,” she said.

Horvath’s goal for the program is to “come back with a foundation in classical technique because it is so applicable in modern singing,” she said, and is “so relevant” in live theatre performance.

Horvath is well known to Las Cruces audiences. Her many performances include “The Complete History of America (abridged)” and “Marilyn & God” for Blank Conversations Theatre Company – she also was choreographer for the company’s production of “Singin’ in the Rain”; in “Biloxi Blues” and “Legally Blonde” at Las Cruces Community Theatre; and in “My Fair Lady” and “Broadway on Stage” at NMSU.

As a sophomore, Horvath reached the finals in dance in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival regional competition in 2020.

She won the NMSU Theatre Department’s award for best choreographer for “25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” in 2020 and was best actor for “Holiday Cabaret” in 2021.

Horvath will be staying in an air B&B in Florence, along with another student, who is from California. The trip is Horvath’s first time in Europe, she said, and she is looking forward to exploring Italy, including Tuscany and Rome. And, Horvath is looking forward to hopping over to France to sample some genuine French pastries, especially macaroons.

A native of Alamogordo, Horvath moved to Las Cruces at age 2. She is a graduate of Las Cruces High School.

Earning a degree in theatre from NMSU “opened my eyes to so many opportunities,” Horvath said. Being a part of the theatre program connected her with conferences and competitions from New York to Florida, she said.

“It’s not Broadway or nothing,” Horvath said. “No matter what I continue to do after this program, theatre has taught me how to be in the world with people and how to connect with people. It gave me confidence.”