Matthew Epstein in Conversation
Matthew Epstein, artistic administrator, artist manager
Matthew Epstein has played a transformative role in American opera for over five decades. His long-standing relationship with The Santa Fe Opera began in 1970, where he served as Opera Planning Consultant and later Senior Artistic Advisor until 2018, working closely with leadership and artists, and mentoring participants in the Apprentice Artists Program.
At Lyric Opera of Chicago, Epstein served as Artistic Director from 1999 to 2005, following a 25-year tenure as Artistic Consultant and Advisor. His work with leaders like Carol Fox, Ardis Krainik, Bruno Bartoletti, William Mason, and Sir Andrew Davis culminated in Lyric’s 50th Anniversary Season.
Beyond these roles, Epstein has mentored generations of singers, conductors, directors, and administrators. His collaborations span major institutions including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, San Francisco and Los Angeles Operas, Netherlands Opera, and the Seiji Ozawa Festival. He advised young artists for over fifteen seasons at Music Academy of the West with Marilyn Horne and taught at Juilliard, Curtis, Yale, and the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Program.
From 1972 to 2010, Epstein was affiliated with Columbia Artists Management, serving as Director of CAMI Vocal LLC until his retirement. He managed renowned vocalists such as Renée Fleming, Kathleen Battle, Susan Graham, Samuel Ramey, and Isabel Leonard, among many others.
He also represented leading stage directors including Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, David Pountney, Lotfi Mansouri, and Frank Corsaro, and collaborated with luminaries like Peter Brook, Luc Bondy, Peter Sellars, David McVicar, and Robert Altman.
Epstein’s international influence includes roles with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Seiji Ozawa Festival in Japan, and the Leonard Bernstein Office for the Bernstein centennial. He continues to teach privately and consult globally.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Epstein was inducted into Opera America’s Hall of Fame in 2022. His legacy includes mentoring many of today’s leading arts administrators and shaping the future of vocal performance worldwide.
Marc A. Scorca, president/CEO, OPERA America
Marc A. Scorca joined OPERA America in 1990 as president and CEO. Since that time, the OPERA America membership has grown from 120 opera companies to 3,500 organizations and individuals. Under his leadership, OPERA America has administered two landmark funding initiatives in support of the development of North American operas and opera audiences and launched an endowment effort in 2000 to create a permanent fund dedicated to supporting new works and audience development activities. In 2005, Scorca spearheaded OPERA America’s relocation from Washington, D.C. to New York City and the subsequent construction of the National Opera Center, which opened in 2012 and serves 80,000 guests each year. The Opera Center’s recital hall was dedicated as Marc A. Scorca Hall in 2015 in honor of Scorca’s 25th anniversary with the organization.
Scorca has led strategic planning retreats for opera companies and other cultural institutions internationally, and has participated on panels for federal, state, and local funding agencies, as well as for numerous private organizations. He also appears frequently in the media on a variety of cultural issues. A strong advocate of collaboration, Scorca has led several cross-disciplinary projects, including the Performing Arts Research Coalition and the National Performing Arts Convention (2004 and 2008). He is currently a member of the U.S. delegation to UNESCO. Scorca serves as an officer on the boards of the Performing Arts Alliance and the Curtis Institute of Music, and is on the Music Advisory Board of Hunter College (CUNY). Scorca attended Amherst College, where he graduated with high honors in both history and music.