OPERA America has revealed the 20 participants selected for its 2026 Leadership Intensive, drawing administrators from the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe.

The 14 U.S. participants are James Barnett, Artistic Director of Skylark Opera Theatre; Caitlin Bolden, Director of Artistic Operations at Knoxville Opera; Richard Gammon, Director of the Opera Maine Studio Artist Program; Matthew Hrdlicka, Artistic Coordinator at Pittsburgh Opera; Zuly Inirio, Founder and Executive Director of the Afro-Latinx Song & Opera Project; Heather Johnson, Director of Advancement and Partnerships at American Lyric Theater; Ella Marchment, Assistant Director of the Artist Diploma in Opera Studies at The Juilliard School; Susan Miller, General Director of Opera Montana; Kasey Nahlovsky, Development and Events Manager at Hawai’i Opera Theatre; Andréa Ochoa, Director of Education and Community Impact at Austin Opera; Dennis Robinson Jr., Director of Programs and Partnerships at Opera Colorado; Regina Thiel, Executive Director of Fargo-Moorhead Opera; Alyssa Weathersby, Co-Artistic Director and Stage Director of Light Opera Lab; and Mo Zhou, Guest Artistic Director of Opera Grand Rapids.

The six international participants are Paula Andino, General Coordinator of the Fundación Amigos del Teatro Solís in Montevideo, Uruguay; Uberta Bonamigo, Coordinator of Strategic Development and External Relations at the Teatro Regio di Torino; Dorian Cox, Director of the Ensemble Studio at the Canadian Opera Company; Renee Fajardo, Education Manager at Gateway Theatre in Richmond, Canada; Eric Herrero, Artistic Director of the Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro; and Florian Köfler, Director of Artistic Planning and Production at La Monnaie in Brussels.

Participants will convene in New York City for a weeklong intensive from August 24–29, 2026, engaging in seminars and practicums focused on strategic leadership and field-wide collaboration. The program continues through spring 2027, culminating in attendance at OPERA America’s annual conference.

Ten percent of all general directors working in opera today are graduates of the program or other OPERA America professional development initiatives.