How does one build a career as a designer in opera? Like singing, one avenue is the competition circuit, where winning prizes in national or international competitions can connect designers with producers who can in turn secure engagements with major opera houses. In the U.S., one such prize is the Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize, a biennial contest that selects four winning teams every two years.

In 2022, an independent panel selected the most recent four winners of the prize, who’d designed concepts for Fellow Travelers, Sweeney Todd, and a pair of Salomes. In addition to a cash prize, each of these winners also receives the opportunity to display their work at the National Opera Center in New York City. In June, one of the two Salomes was installed at the Opera Center, where it will be available for viewing until November.

For this concept, director Alison Pogorelc and her team use shadow play to bring to life the tale of Salome’s search for autonomy in a world defined by God’s autocratic power. Set designer Ember Streshinsky created asymmetrical temple walls upon which shadows and projections appear. Costume designer Zhang Yu’s work emphasizes ropes and robes as symbols of restraint, while lighting designer Avi Sheehan and projection/video designer Camilla Tassi bring light to bear in this subtle take. Finally, choreography by Morgan Williams unifies these elements in a fresh interpretation of the famous Dance of the Seven Veils.

Visitors to the Opera Center will have a chance to see another take on Salome when the fourth and final winning team’s concept, also for Strauss’ opera, is installed from December 2024 through May 2025.