Tiffany Townsend Will Bring CRASH OUT QUEENS to Long Beach Opera

Long Beach Opera will present the bold Crash Out Queens: A Tiffany Townsend Recital on January 31 at 7:30pm and February 1 at 4pm,, developed in close collaboration with the company at the Altar Society, 230 Pine Avenue in Long Beach.  

Conceived as both a recital and a dramatic exploration, the program traces a journey through opera's most iconic moments of reckoning–examining the inner lives of women pushed to their psychological and emotional limits.

Crash Out Queens spans a wide emotional and musical range. From Puccini's Suor Angelica to Menotti's The Consul, Townsend reframes these arias through a contemporary, empathetic lens. Through Townsend's interpretation, these iconic characters reveal new layers of complexity, inner conflict, and humanity.

Featuring multidisciplinary collaborators pianist Lucy Yates, dancer Jasmine Albuquerque, and scenic designer Prairie T. Trivuth, the performance invites audiences to experience the full scope of Townsend's evolving artistry and creative imagination. 

LBO, Los Angeles County's oldest and most historically provocative opera company, presents soprano Townsend as the next performance in its 2025–26 season, OPERA IS EVERYWHERE – a celebration of the company's artists and collaborators redefining what opera can be.

Long Beach Opera is headed by Artistic Director & Chief Creative Officer James Darrah and Chief Executive Officer Michelle Magaldi.  LBO's Music Director is Wild Up founder Christopher Rountree.

Townsend said, “I think of crashing out like a kettle boiling until it starts to whistle. I wanted to explore how women in opera were pushed to their emotional or mental brink. Women who did what they thought was the only thing they could do with the circumstances they were given, and who reacted the only way they knew how.”

“LBO has been instrumental in supporting my artistic growth, especially as I developed as a young artist. The company always listens to my ideas, championing my vision every step of the way. LBO is truly invested in being part of my artistic journey and I continue to cherish our expanding partnership.”

She continued, “Crash Out Queens feels very Tiffany-centered. The recital is the first time I'm saying exactly what I want, sharing what I feel with audiences in an authentic way. Opera is so beautiful for crashing out because it imitates life on a grand — almost cinematic — scale. The tragedy, the comedy – all of it. You can go to your max on stage, a pure reflection of creative energy at its fullest.”

Chief Executive Officer Michelle Magaldi said, “This performance represents everything we value at LBO: artistic collaboration, creative risk-taking and fresh perspectives on the operatic canon. Tiffany has worked closely with our team to develop a deeply personal exploration of opera's most powerful female characters, and the result is a dramatic journey, reimagining iconic moments for today's audiences. Her dynamic artistry and creative courage represent the future of opera, and we are incredibly proud to platform her voice and vision.”

Opening night will culminate in a festive season-launch party welcoming artists, audiences, and supporters into LBO's 2025–26 season, with a post-show reception also following the second performance.

Tiffany Townsend first captivated LBO audiences as Idleness in the world premiere of Kate Soper's The Romance of the Rose (2023), returning the following spring to perform at LBO's On Display event, which featured a preview of songs from Shelley Washington's The Passion of Nell.

Townsend has emerged as one of the most compelling young artists of her generation, with notable performances at LA Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and major symphony orchestras across the country. This new recital builds on her evolving relationship with LBO, giving Townsend space to shape a program that reflects her creative imagination and artistic point of view.

With a repertoire that includes roles like Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Tatyana (Eugene Onegin), and Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro), Tiffany Townsend's career is an inspiring journey of artistic growth and achievement.

In the 2022–2023 season, Townsend's soaring vocal prowess was on full display as she assumed the role of Idleness in Long Beach Opera's world premiere production of The Romance of the Rose. She also returned to LA Opera's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, where she undertook role debuts as Julie (cover, Omar), Lucia (The Rape of Lucretia), and Desdemona (cover, Otello). Additionally, she took on the role of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at Wolf Trap Opera, adding another layer to her growing repertoire.

In the 2021–2022 season, Townsend made her role debut as Ines (Leonora cover) in LA Opera's production of Il Trovatore, further solidifying her presence in the opera world. She also returned to Opera Philadelphia's Emerging Artist Program as the featured soloist in George Walker's Lilacs and delivered a mesmerizing performance of Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs with the Artosphere Festival Orchestra. Her remarkable talent was showcased in her Filene Artist debut with Wolf Trap Opera, where she performed Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the National Orchestral Institute.

Townsend's talents extend beyond the opera stage. She has graced the concert stage as the soprano soloist in masterpieces like Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. Her performances have included renditions of Gabriel Fauré's Requiem and George Walker's Lilacs with the New Jersey Symphony, and she's set to reprise Lilacs with the National Orchestral Institute + Wolf Trap Opera.

A native of Jackson, MS, Townsend holds a Professional Studies Certificate in Opera from the Curtis Institute of Music, a Master of Music from The Juilliard School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Millsaps College.