Opera Columbus has announced that Luther Lewis III has been named as the inaugural Directing Fellow of their new BIPOC program.

Lewis is a tenor, director, and visual artist who is set to work as assistant director on productions of “Tosca,” “Fellow Travelers” and “40 Days of Opera.” He is also set to direct “Vanqui” at Lincoln Theatre, which will open on May 22.

This program is designed to create career opportunities for promising stage directors to work on large-scale productions, and give them the experience and tools for a career beyond the company.

The program comes as Opera Columbus celebrates its 40^th Anniversary this season, honoring the company’s history while seeking to redefine regional opera through original productions and new perspectives.

“This inaugural Directing Fellowship is the beginning of a new story and a new way of how we recognize BIPOC artists in Columbus and within our opera community,” said Julia Noulin-Mérat, General Director and CEO of Opera Columbus. “It will ensure that our arts ecosystem will be stronger, more creative and more resilient after the pandemic and far beyond.”