Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
opera theatre saint louis otsl american summer opera festival held st louis missouri typically four opera sung english presented season run late may late june performance accompanied st louis symphony orchestra divided two ensemble covering two opera season company performance presented lorettohilton center performing art campus webster university leigh gerdine laurance l browning jr james van sant cofounded otsl hired richard gaddes time working santa fe opera company first artistic director signed fulltime general director suggestion ed korn brought consultant metropolitan opera gaddes acknowledged model otsl santa fe opera coincidence always say john crosby sired opera theater st louis whole concept modeled santa fe part idea apprentice would feed st louis first season presented eleven performance britten albert herring mozart impresario menotti medium donizetti pasquale mixture standard work new unconventional opera continue future season characterize company approach achieved budget young singer included sheri greenawald vinson cole early season company major influence achievement first joint bbcwnet telecast albert herring first appearance u opera company edinburgh international festival first production japanese opera japan american company followed return tokyo september present japanese premiere classic genji monogatari adapted opera minoru miki tale genji wellknown director graham vick jonathan miller mark lamos made u operatic debut otsl conductor leonard slatkin christopher hogwood colin graham served otsls director production john nelson otsls music director principal conductor notable u singer including christine brewer susan graham denyce graf dwayne croft thomas hampson jerry hadley patricia racette sylvia mcnair stephanie blythe made appearance st louis production festival season otsl presented world premiere including stephen paulus postman always ring twice cary john franklin loss eden david carlson anna karenina libretto colin graham terence blanchard champion libretto michael cristofer ricky ian gordon twentyseven libretto royce vavrek jack perla shalimar clown libretto rajiv joseph salman rushdie novel name huang ruo american soldier libretto david henry hwang terence blanchard fire shut bone libretto kasi lemmon tobias picker awakening libretto aryeh lev stollman champion twentyseven shalimar clown part otsl series commissioning new opera new work bold voice initiative addition otsl given least american premiere including michael berkeley jane eyre benjamin britten paul bunyan rossini il viaggio reims journey reims judith weir vanishing bridegroom title highland wedding company train young artist gerdine young artist program named opera theatre founding board chairman leigh gerdine gerdine young artist serve annual chorus company company retain resident chorus otsl chorus director included donald palumbo cary john franklin sandra horst robert ainsley february otsl announced appointment walter huff next chorus director due covid pandemic however huff never formally took post succeeding gaddes otsl general director charles mackay held post mackay previously served otsl executive director beginning mackay led campaign construct fund new sally levy opera center new permanent administrative home yearround rehearsal facility organisation addition otsl adopted projected englishlanguage supertitle theatre death april otsl artistic director colin graham otsls music director stephen lord lord subsequently held title otsl music director emeritus resignation june following publication allegation sexual misconduct june otsl announced appointment roberto kalb resident conductor effective season september otsl named james robinson company next artistic director timothy oleary position executive director mackay concluded otsl tenure general director september june otsl named oleary third general director effective october oleary concluded otsl general directorship june april otsl announced appointment andrew jorgensen next general director effective july july otsls thendirector artistic administration damon bristo arrested child sex trafficking second degree placed unpaid leave later resigned february otsl announced simultaneously extension robinson contact artistic director appointment daniela candillari new principal conductor initial contract three year candillari first female conductor named principal conductor company october otsl announced extension jorgensens contract otsl general director june february otsl announced extension candillaris contract otsl general director june august otsl announced scheduled departure robinson artistic director effective september richard gaddes – charles mackay – timothy oleary – andrew jorgensen –present john nelson – principal conductor – stephen lord – daniela candillari –present principal conductor colin graham – james robinson –present list opera festival official website