Opera Baltimore has named soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams to the position of Imasogie Executive Apprentice.

She will inaugurate the position, which includes a one-year tenure  and will feature the soprano in her directorial debut with the company in a 2026 production of “Lucrezia Borgia.” Williams has performed all around the world with such companies as Seattle Opera and the Opéra National de Paris.

“It is a profound privilege for Opera Baltimore to welcome the extraordinary Mary Elizabeth Williams as the inaugural Imasogie Executive Apprentice,” said Julia Cooke, President & General Director, per an official press release. “That an artist of her international stature has chosen our company—and this moment in her luminous career—to explore the next chapter of leadership is a powerful affirmation of the work we do and the values we uphold.”

“I am so honored to have the opportunity to work and grow alongside Julia Cooke, who has proven herself to be an innovator and visionary in opera production since 2008,” added Williams. The position is made possible thanks to the support of Osagie Imasogie, a longtime advocate of opera and friend and supporter of Williams. “Mr. Osagie Imasogie’s generous support of my apprenticeship with Opera Baltimore will yield tremendous returns for me personally, for Opera Baltimore institutionally, and for the art form as a whole. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of us as we deepen our relationships with each other and with the city we serve,” she continued.

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