Opera for Peace has announced that several of opera’s greatest stars are joining the organization as ambassadors and advisors.

Tenor René Barbera and sopranos Elsa Dreisig and Joyce El-Khoury have become the organization’s newest ambassadors. Meanwhile, conductor Fabio Luisi, soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, and baritone Ludovic Tézier have signed on as Advisors; they join baritone Thomas Hampson and soprano Sumi Jo, who were the organization’s founding advisors.

“In an ever-changing world, music, and opera in particular, is a universal language – crossing borders and cultures – a language everyone can understand and interpret in their own, unique way. My hope is that, through both my words as well as my singing, together with Opera for Peace, opera will not only survive but thrive,” Radvanovsky stated in a press release.

Opera for Peace – Leading Young Voices of the World is a passion project that aims to promote change in the world of opera. The organization, which started up in early 2020 has engaged in several  Ambassador talks with such artists as Anthony Roth Costanzo, Lawrence Brownlee, Brian Jagde, and  Golda Schultz. Upcoming talks will feature Luca Pisaroni, Nicole Car, and Étienne Dupuis.

Additionally, the organization has created the Global Connections initiative, which includes partnerships with soprano Sawsan Al-Bahiti of Saudi Arabia and Iraqi composer Quoayba Ahmed Neaimi.

The organization has also inaugurated its Opera for Peace Emerging Artists in which 12 graduates from around the world are provided with one-on-one mentorship from Ambassadors and Advisors. Young Artists include Raehann Bryce-Davis, Clelia Cafiero, Alec Carlson, William Guanbo Su, Marie Jacquot, Victoria Karkacheva, Andrei Kymach, Gabriella Reyes, Meigui Zhang, Leandro Sánchez, Chuma Sijeqa, and Hongni Wu.

Finally, the organization’s partner network includes Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; Heidelberger Frühling Lied Akademie; Festival Suoni dal Golfo Lerici; Lviv National Opera; Teatro Regio di Parma; National Opera Studio; National Student Opera Society; Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur; The Opera Story, London; Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse; Ulster Orchestra; Internationale Opernwerkstatt Waiblingen; University of Cape Town Opera School; Elena Obraztsova International Competition of Young Vocalists.