The Opportunes, Harvard’s oldest all-gender a cappella group, took the stage to perform for students and staff on Monday afternoon in the SIS auditorium.
Founded in 1980, the Opportunes are the first full-fledged mixed a cappella group from Harvard. It competes in major collegiate a cappella contests, including the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella in 2022, creates unique a cappella arrangements, and travels globally for performances.
The Opportunes performed five original arrangements: a Michael Jackson Medley, including “I Want You Back”, “Beat It”, “Smooth Criminal”, and “Man in the Mirror”; “Skate” by Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak; “Jealous” by Labrinth; “Evergreen” by Yebba, performed in the style of Saje; and “Blackbird” by The Beatles.
Each piece featured solos from the various members of the group.
“All of the music we perform is arranged by members and alumni of the group,” Lexi Sexton, Assistant Business Manager of the Harvard Opportunes, said. “[It] makes the process highly collaborative and democratic.”
The Opportunes performed during activity period, and followed their performance with a short Q&A session with middle school students. The a cappella was warmly received by the student body, leaving a lasting, inspiring impression on many.
“I was in awe of how each and every member of the group was so talented,” Noella Shin (11), aspiring student-violinist, said. “Their performance was really amazing, and as a violinist, I could appreciate the extra time and dedication they put into practicing and rehearsing for these performances. I was really moved by their performance, and I could almost feel their passion and love for music through their songs. I hope our school hosts more events like these.”
One individual has entered the spotlight among SIS students: Evan Pak, soloist of the arrangement “Skate” and a singer-songwriter with 361,300 monthly listeners on Spotify.
“I fell in love at first sight,” an anonymous student said. “His face card is immaculate, and his voice was just so soothing.”
Behind the group’s flamboyant stage presence is the unparalleled dedication of every member of the Opportunes, the essence of their immaculate, reverberating cadence.
“We audition solos and workshop each piece together to ensure that the arrangement highlights the unique strengths and voices of our current members,” Lexi said. “Rehearsals take place three times a week for a total of about seven hours, and even outside of rehearsal, the Opportunes spend a lot of time together—studying, socializing, and supporting one another.”
To the aspiring student musicians of SIS, the Opportunes leave one piece of advice:
“Balancing academics with the Opportunes can feel overwhelming at first, but the group is deeply supportive of members’ academic priorities,” Lexi said. “We plan rehearsals well in advance, encourage open communication about academic conflicts, and rely on strong peer support to help one another stay on track. Being surrounded by people who value both musical excellence and academic success makes it much easier to manage time effectively and stay motivated in both areas.”
To learn more about the group, visit their website at harvardopportunes.com, and listen to their latest album, In the Crowd, on their Spotify page.
