THE SUNSET SOIREE

10.24.25 | 6:00pm

The Skirvin Hilton

Join us for an evening of dinner, drinks, dancing, and fun at our annual celebration of opera in central Oklahoma. All proceeds go towards supporting Painted Sky Opera’s mission of presenting inspiring, innovative opera education and performance in central Oklahoma.

Tickets and sponsorships for the Sunset Soirée will be available later in the year. Please watch our website, emails, and social media for more information.

Honoring our 2025 Le Stelle recipients for their contribution to opera in central Oklahoma

Mark Parker, Dean Emeritus of the School of Music and School of Theatre at Oklahoma City University

Metropolitan Libraries

Mark Parker - our 2025 Le Stelle individual recipient

Dean Mark Parker retired on June 30, 2025, after 35 years of leadership at Oklahoma City University. During his tenure, he elevated OCU’s schools of theatre and music into the ranks of top performing arts schools in the nation and supported the tremendous growth of OCU into a national powerhouse for operatic excellence. Dean Parker’s work at OCU played a major role in creating the vibrant atmosphere for classical vocal music in central Oklahoma into which Painted Sky Opera entered in 2016.

Dean Parker is the recipient of Oklahoma’s highest honor in the arts, the Governor’s Arts Award. He has served on the board of directors of Creative Oklahoma and of the National Association of Schools of Music, and is founding president of the DaVinci Institute, an interdisciplinary arts and education think tank. He conducted the Oklahoma City University Symphony Orchestra for two decades, and has led honor, regional, and All-State ensembles across the nation.

During his tenure, Dean Parker transformed both schools into international leaders in the fusion of arts, technology, and creativity. The Bass School doubled its square footage, to more than 200,000, and nearly doubled its enrollment, to more than 350 music majors, in part due to the success of the vocal music programs at OCU. The opera program at OCU in particular has won numerous first place awards in the National Opera Association Opera Production Competition over Dean Parker’s tenure, including multiple years with multiple award-winning productions.

Dean Parker also has created pioneering artistic collaborative partnerships between OCU and the Oklahoma Youth Orchestras, Canterbury Voices, El Sistema Oklahoma, and Oklahoma Children’s Theatre. Earlier this year, he was honored with the Oklahoma Music Educators 2025 President’s Award for contributions to music education and with the inaugural Legacy Award from Oklahoma Youth Orchestras. In 2024, he was inducted into the OCU School of Theatre Hall of Honor.