Opera Southwest Appoints Cecilia Violetta López to New Leadership Role
By David SalazarOpera Southwest has announced the appointment of soprano Cecilia Violetta López as Chief Advancement Officer.
López assumed the newly created senior leadership position on Sept. 29, 2026.
López most recently served as general director and CEO of Opera Las Vegas. She will continue her performing career while in the new role, and on Nov. 15 she will join Opera Southwest and the New Mexico Symphonic Chorus for the New Mexico premiere of Berlioz’s “L’enfance du Christ.”
Moreover, López has a long history with the company. She has performed with Opera Southwest and previously served on its board of directors.
Her performing credits also include Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Zomer Opera in Belgium, Florida Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, and Virginia Opera. Opera News named her one of opera’s “25 Rising Stars.” A native of Rupert, Idaho, and the daughter of Mexican immigrants, she has championed Hispanic and Latino repertoire, artists, and communities throughout her career.
“Opera Southwest has been part of my artistic life for many years, and I have tremendous respect for what the company has built,” López said, per an official press release. “At this point in my career, I’;m especially interested in the intersection of artistic ambition, institutional growth, and the relationships that make transformational work possible. I’m excited to bring everything I have learned as a CEO, artist, fundraiser, and advocate to an organization I know deeply and believe in. I’m proud to champion a company that sees Hispanic and Latino repertoire not as something separate from the operatic tradition, but as an essential part of it, all while continuing to grow my work as an artist and arts leader.”
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