Matthew Aucoin, Composer | Thursday, September 29, 2016, at 7:00 p.m.
The composer, conductor, pianist and writer Matthew Aucoin — called opera’s “rising wunderkind” by The New York Times — becomes artist-in-residence this season at Los Angeles Opera, a position that will culminate in a world-premiere opera in 2019. Aucoin’s oeuvre as a composer extends from solo piano to opera to chamber and orchestral music. His first opera, Crossing, was premiered by American Repertory Theater in 2015, and Second Nature, a one-act eco-opera for youth commissioned by Lyric Opera of Chicago, followed soon after. Aucoin is currently at work on a new opera for the New Works Program of the Metropolitan Opera and Lincoln Center Theater.

This performance features countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo and bass-baritone Davóne Tines.

William Bolcom, Composer | Thursday, April 6, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
William Bolcom, winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Music, has composed in virtually every instrumental and vocal genre, from solo piano and songs to symphony and opera. A voracious eclectic, he has contributed substantially to the musical theater, cabaret and modern ragtime repertoire, and, with his wife, mezzo-soprano Joan Morris, has been a performer-advocate of American popular song. Bolcom is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, a Grammy and six honorary doctorates, and he has been commissioned by organizations such as Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.

Vocalists for this performance will be announced at a later date.

David Henry Hwang, Librettist and Playwright | Tuesday, October 18, 2016, at 7:00 p.m.
Described by Time magazine as "the first important dramatist of American public life since Arthur Miller," David Henry Hwang is the author of such plays as M. Butterfly, Chinglish, Yellow Face, Kung Fu, Golden Child and The Dance and the Railroad. He is also America’s most-produced living opera librettist, working with composers Philip Glass, Osvaldo Golijov, Bright Sheng, Unsuk Chin, Huang Ruo and Howard Shore. Hwang is a Tony Award winner and three-time nominee, a three-time OBIE Award winner, and a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Jamie Barton, Mezzo-Soprano | Thursday, December 8, 2016, at 7:00 p.m.
Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, winner of the 2015 Richard Tucker Award and 2013 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, has been described by critic Alex Ross as “a fresh wonder of the opera world, possessing a voice of preternatural beauty and power.” In 2016–2017, Barton returns to the Metropolitan Opera to sing Fenena in Nabucco and make her role debut as Ježibaba in a new production of Rusalka. Barton also makes her debuts at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, singing her first Princess Eboli in Don Carlo, and the New York Philharmonic, singing Fricka in Das Rheingold.

Jamie Barton appears courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.

Thomas Hampson, Baritone | Thursday, March 16, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
Thomas Hampson, one of America’s foremost baritones, enjoys a singular international career as an opera singer and recording artist while maintaining an active interest in research, education, musical outreach and technology. Hampson was recently inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he has won worldwide recognition for thoughtfully researched and creatively constructed programs, as well as for his rich discography of more than 150 albums. Through the Hampsong Foundation, which he founded in 2003, he employs the art of song to promote intercultural dialogue and understanding.

Renée Fleming, Soprano | Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
One of the most beloved and celebrated musical ambassadors of our time, soprano Renée Fleming captivates audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry and compelling stage presence. At a White House ceremony in 2013, the president awarded her the National Medal of Arts, America's highest honor for an individual artist. Known as “the people’s diva” and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo, Fleming continues to grace the world’s greatest opera stages and concert halls, now extending her reach to include other musical forms and media.

Florentine Opera Studio Artists | Thursday, November 3, 2016, at 7:00 p.m.
The Florentine Opera Studio, founded in 2008, provides season-long, comprehensive artist-in-residence employment for talented singers beginning their professional careers, while serving the mainstage, education and community engagement goals of the Florentine Opera Company. From each September through May, the Florentine Opera Studio provides four promising singers (a soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor and baritone/bass) with performance experience and training.

Houston Grand Opera Studio Artists | Thursday, March 2, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
Each season, the Houston Grand Opera Studio provides 8 to 12 young opera professionals with the opportunity to study and perform under a highly respected professional staff of teachers and performers. Founded in 1977, the Studio allows young opera professionals to become employees of HGO for one to three seasons, during which time they pursue an intense, individualized study program alongside world-renowned artists, directors and conductors.

Opera Index Vocal Competition Winner | Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
One of America’s major vocal competitions, Opera Index has given awards totaling more than $1 million to 365 singers since 1984. The auditions for the vocal competition are held each October, and awards are given to two categories of singers: those who are on the cusp of a major career and those who are in the early phase of a promising career.

This recital features countertenor Siman Chung, a winner of the 2015 Opera Index Vocal Competition.

Arizona Opera Studio Artists | Thursday, April 20, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
In residence all season, Arizona Opera Studio Artists can be seen performing on both the company’s main stage and throughout Arizona. Founded in 2006, the Studio provides well-rounded, personalized instruction aimed at bridging the gap between academic studies and professional life and helping artists to reach the next level of their careers.