Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Announces Second Class of Clayco Future Leaders Fellowship Program

By David Salazar

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis has announced the second class of the Clayco Future Leaders Fellowship program.

Participants include Kiandra Mays, Andréa Ochoa, and Aaron Walker.

“OTSL is thrilled to be building on the success of the first year of this compelling program,” said OTSL General Director Andrew Jorgensen in a press statement. “Our company is known for preparing young singers to succeed on the world’s largest stages, and it’s vitally important that we take a holistic approach to identifying and nurturing talent in all aspects of opera, including young arts administrators. Kiandra, Andréa, and Aaron are fantastic talents in our field, and we can’t wait for them to join the OTSL team. We look forward to working with them as they further their careers, and are excited about their future contributions to the field of opera.”

The program is aimed at addressing racial inequity throughout the opera industry by supporting BIPOC arts administrators. Per a Grantsmakers in the Arts study, less than 15 percent of arts administrators in the country identify as non-white.

The company noted that last year’s class of inaugural Fellows, including Lyanne Alverado and Chandler Johnson, are now holding positions with such organizations as Los Angeles Opera and Houston Grand Opera. Moreover, one of the participants is working with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ Development department.

The second year of the program kicks off on Oct. 18 and runs through July 30, 2022.

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