OPERA America Awards 2025 Marineau Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors

OPERA America has announced the nine recipients of the 2025 Marineau Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors.

The grants open doors for women artists by incentivizing professional opera companies of all sizes to engage women in key artistic roles. These engagements enrich the production and performance of new operas and works from the inherited repertoire and inspire future generations of women artists.

Grants were awarded to nine opera companies that are advancing the careers of the following stage directors and conductors:

• American Opera Projects (Brooklyn, NY):
  Rebekah Heller will conduct Barcelona, Map of Shadows (Mikael Karlsson, composer; Mallory Catlett, librettist)
• Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (Dayton, OH):
  Chelsea Gallo will conduct Carmen (Georges Bizet, composer; Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, librettists)
• The Glimmerglass Festival (Cooperstown, NY):
  Chía Patiño will direct The House on Mango Street (Derek Bermel, composer and librettist; Sandra Cisneros, librettist)
• Houston Grand Opera (Houston, TX):
  Kaneza Schaal will direct Aida (Giuseppe Verdi, composer; Antonio Ghislanzoni, librettist)
• Opera Columbus (Columbus, OH):
  Mila Henry will conduct The Old Man and the Sea (Paola Prestini, composer; Royce Vavrek, librettist)
• Opera Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA):
  Jenny Koons will direct Sleepers Awake (Gregory Spears, composer and librettist)
• Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (Sacramento, CA):
  Sahar Nouri will conduct La traviata (Giuseppe Verdi, composer; Francesco Maria Piave, librettist)
• San Francisco Opera (San Francisco, CA):
  Diane Paulus will direct The Monkey King (Huang Ruo, composer; David Henry Hwang; librettist)
• Teatro Grattacielo (New York, NY):
  Anna Laura Miszerak will direct L’amico Fritz (Pietro Mascagni, composer; Nicola Daspuro, librettist)

The awarded companies receive grants to subsidize up to 50 percent of the contract fees (up to $15,000) for a woman stage director or conductor whose engagement marks an important step in the woman’s career. The granting program is part of OPERA America’s commitment to improve gender parity in the field.

Marineau Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors, generously supported by the Marineau Family Foundation, are among OPERA America’s grants and awards supporting Professional Company Members and artists. More information about grant and award programs is available at operaamerica.org/Grants.