Marineau Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors
From 2021 to 2025, the Marineau Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors supported Professional Company Members in increasing the number of women hired for key artistic leadership roles.
Through contract fee support, the program encouraged member companies to engage women stage directors and conductors, who have long been underrepresented in opera productions.
The Marineau Opera Grants were made possible through the support of the Marineau Family Foundation.
Meet the Grantees
2025
| Company | Artist | Work |
|---|---|---|
| American Opera Projects | Rebekah Heller, conductor | Barcelona, Map of Shadows |
| Dayton Performing Arts Alliance | Chelsea Gallo, conductor | Carmen |
| The Glimmerglass Festival | Chía Patiño, director | The House on Mango Street |
| Houston Grand Opera | Kaneza Schaal, director | Aida |
| Opera Columbus | Mila Henry, conductor | The Old Man and the Sea |
| Opera Philadelphia | Jenny Koons, director | Sleepers Awake |
| Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera | Sahar Nouri, conductor | La traviata |
| San Francisco Opera | Diane Paulus, director | The Monkey King |
| Teatro Grattacielo | Anna Laura Miszerak, director | L'amico Fritz |
Learn more about grant projects in the press release.
2024
| Company | Artist | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Beth Morrison Projects | Elizabeth Askren, conductor | Sensorium Ex |
| Detroit Opera | Nataki Garrett, director | The Central Park Five |
| IN Series | Shanara Gabrielle, director | Cradle Will Rock |
| Kentucky Opera | Kimille Howard, director | This Little Light of Mine |
| LA Opera | Lina González-Granados, conductor | Ainadamar |
| National Sawdust | Kaneza Schaal, director | Unto Us |
| Opera Colorado | Chía Patiño, director | The Daughter of the Regiment |
| Opera Orlando | Roberta Emerson, director | Treemonisha |
| Opera Steamboat | Amanda Berg Wilson, director | Welcome to the Madness |
| Resonance Works | Keturah Stickann, director | The Little Prince |
Learn more about grant projects in the press release.
2023
Round-One Grants
| Company | Artist | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Baroque | Mo Zhou, director | Iphigénie en Tauride |
| Heartbeat Opera | Shadi G., director | Tosca |
| HERE | Tara Ahmadinejad, director | mɔɹniŋ (morning//mourning) |
| Houston Grand Opera | Emily Wells, director | Another City |
| Los Angeles Opera | Leah Hausman, director | Pelléas et Mélisande |
| Opera Baltimore and OperaDelaware | Kaley Karis Smith, director | La traviata |
| Opera Birmingham | Aija Penix, director | dwb (driving while black) |
| Utah Symphony | Utah Opera | Stephanie Rhodes Russell, conductor | La fille du régiment |
Learn more about grant projects in the press release.
Round-Two Grants
| Company | Artist | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Opera | Sarah Ina Meyers, director | Frankenstein |
| Cincinnati Opera | Stephanie Rhodes Russell, conductor | The Knock |
| Opera Parallèle | Yayoi Kambara, director | The Emissary |
| White Snake Projects | Roxanna Myhrum, director | MONKEY: A Kung Fu Puppet Parable |
Learn more about grant projects in the press release.
2022
Round-One Grants
| Company | Artist | Work |
|---|---|---|
|
Anchorage Opera |
Shannon Davis, director | Missing |
| Florida Grand Opera | Jeri Lynne Johnson, conductor | Agrippina |
| Guerilla Opera | Cara Consilvio, director | I Give You All My Home |
| IN Series | Claron McFadden, conductor | Desdemona |
| Kentucky Opera | Judith Yan, conductor | Orfeo ed Euridice |
| Opera Cultura | Paula Nava Madrigal, conductor | Frida |
| Opera San José | Crystal Manich, director | West Side Story |
| Portland Opera | Nataki Garrett, director | The Central Park Five |
Learn more about grant projects in the press release.
Round-Two Grants
| Company | Artist | Work |
|---|---|---|
| The Glimmerglass Festival | Chloe Treat, director | Common Ground |
| Houston Grand Opera | Louisa Muller, director | The Wreckers |
| Pocket Opera | Margo Hall, director | A Pocket Magic Flute |
| Opera Saratoga | Emily Senturia, conductor | Sky on Swings |
Learn more about grant projects in the press release.
2021
| Company | Artist | Work |
|---|---|---|
|
Cincinnati Opera |
D. Lynn Meyers, stage director | Fierce |
| The Glimmerglass Festival | NJ Agwuna, stage director | The Magic Flute |
| Houston Grand Opera | Lidiya Yankovskaya, conductor | Carmen |
| Long Beach Opera | Jenny Wong, conductor | Pierrot lunaire/Voices from the Killing Jar |
| Michigan Opera Theatre | Kaneza Schaal, stage director | Blue |
| New Camerata Opera | Kimille Howard, stage director | Refractions |
| Opera Columbus | Tiffany Chang, conductor | Tosca |
| Opera Steamboat | Maria Sensi Sellner, conductor | The Barber of Seville |
| West Edge Opera | Indre Viskontas, stage director | Katya Kabanova |
Learn more about grant projects in the press release.