Clare Burovac has been named General Director – Designate of New Orleans Opera, effective immediately.

Burovac is the first woman to take the helm of the historic arts organization and succeeds Robert Lyall who is stepping down as General Director, as of September 15, 2020. Lyall will continue serving as Artistic Director for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

“Clare combines broad experience in producing opera with a passion for developing young artists and connecting audiences with opera. She will be a major asset to our Company and the New Orleans community,” New Orleans Opera President Littauer noted in a press release.

Trained as a violinist, Burovac began her career as a stage manager. After OPERA America awarded her a prestigious fellowship in opera production, she went on to serve on the production team at Seattle Opera before moving into the position of Production Stage Manager prior to joining Portland Opera.

While at Portland Opera, Burovac presided over the company’s artistic planning and education and community engagement programs. Her vision and execution of the organization’s initiatives, including the new “Opera a la Cart” program which brought free outdoor performances across the Portland metro area.

The company produced two world-premiere recordings, expanded access to opera in schools, and produced the organization’s first bilingual opera, a Spanish/English production of Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” for Portland Opera on the Go, taking the opera on the road throughout Oregon and neighboring states. Burovac grew Portland Opera’s Resident Artist Program into one of the most competitive in the U.S.

Burovac is a frequent judge of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a member of the Women’s Opera Network steering committee for OPERA America.

“I am thrilled to be invited to be the next General Director of New Orleans Opera,” added Burovac. “The rich history of this Company is really the history of opera in America for three centuries. The opportunity to honor and advance this great tradition is both exhilarating and awe-inspiring,” Burovac stated in the New Orleans Opera press release. The General Director – Designate will move to the Crescent City with her husband, stage director Christopher Mattaliano.

New Orleans Opera Association (NOOA), now in its 78th season, is committed to its mission of enriching the lives of all people by producing opera of the highest artistic quality and providing educational opportunities through traditional and innovative approaches. NOOA aspires to connect people to the arts and each other through the joy of opera.