Carmen at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Tunisian-born Rihab Chaieb Tunisian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb is capturing international attention with her compelling stage presence and vocal versatility. The 2025/26 season sees Chaieb make a series of house debuts, including Nefertiti in Akhnaten for the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the title role in Carmen for Montreal Opera and Charlotte in Werther for the Teatro Cervantes de Málaga. Elsewhere Chaieb returns to the Bavarian State Opera in Munich as Maddalena in a new production of Rigoletto and to the Atlanta Opera for Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro.

Grammy Award-winning Mexican-American tenor Joshua Guerrero is celebrated internationally for his passionate interpretations of the lyric and dramatic repertoire. A recipient of a Richard Tucker Foundation Career Grant, second prize-winner in the Operalia Competition, and graduate of LA Opera’s Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program (where he received the Eva and Marc Stern Artist Award), Guerrero has become a sought-after presence on the world’s leading operatic stages. He has appeared in Don Carlo, La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Macbeth, Carmen, Il Trittico, Manon Lescaut, Mefistofele, Florencia en el Amazonas, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Lucia di Lammermoor, Roméo et Juliette, Simon Boccanegra, and L’Elisir d’Amore at leading houses including the Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Dutch National Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Teatro Real in Madrid, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Canadian Opera Company, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, and LA Opera, where he was featured in the Grammy-winning recording of The Ghosts of Versailles.

Kathleen O’Mara is the first place winner of Operalia 2024, where she also won the Birgit Nilsson Prize for singing Wagner/Strauss. In the 2025/26 season, she returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin and as the First Lady in The Magic Flute. She also returns to Teatro alla Scala as Helmwige in Die Walküre and debuts with Seattle Opera as Micaëla in Carmen and with the Bavarian State Opera in Munich as the Fifth Maid in Elektra. In the 2026/27 season, her engagements include a return to LA Opera as both Micaëla in Carmen and Liù in Turandot, as well as a debut with the Dallas Opera as Elsa in Lohengrin. In the summer of 2027, she will make her Santa Fe Opera debut as Liù in Turandot. Future seasons include a debut with the Barcelona Symphony.

Bass-baritone Liam James Karai’s voice is celebrated for its elegance, striking flexibility and dark timbre. Hong-Kong born, and of Scottish, Irish and Indian heritage, Karai continues to make successful and celebrated debuts across top European opera houses, captivating audiences with his strong voice and compelling stage presence. Karai’s 2025/26 season sees him return to Teatro di San Carlo in Naples to debut the role of Marcello in La Bohème. He also has house debuts with Opera North as Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, Teatro Municipal de Santiago as Jochanaan in Salome and Nederlandse Reisopera in their world premiere of Jan-Peter de Graaff's Hagar. He also debuts with the WDR Orchestra where he will sing the role of the First Nazarene in their tour of Salome. The season finishes with a debut at Glyndebourne as Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos.

Bass Vinícius Costa has been a Renée Fleming Artist at the Aspen Music Festival, singing the title role in The Marriage of Figaro and the role of Victor Fyodorov in Jimmy Lopez's Bel Canto. In the summer of 2026, he will be a Gaddes Festival Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where he will appear as Count Capulet in Roméo et Juliette. He sang the roles of Amaral and the Father in a recently released recording of Brazilian composer André Mehmari's 2023 opera O Machete. Winner of the Ralph Vaughan Williams award for best performance of an English song at the 2022 Wigmore Hall Song Competition, he and his collaborator Pierre Nicolas-Colombat were among the 10 semi-finalists out of more than 120 entries in the most important song competition in the United Kingdom and one of the biggest competitions on the European continent. He was also a first place winner in the Brazilian and Latin American Linus Lerner Singing Competitions.

Ryan Wolfe has been commended for his “commanding presence,” “spot-on delivery” and his “well-tutored, polished baritone”. In 2025, Ryan was a national semifinalist in the Dominique and Eric Laffont Competition and a recipient of a career development grant from The Sullivan Foundation. He is a two-time semifinalist of the Lotte Lenya Competition. During his two years as a Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist at LA Opera, Ryan amassed over 40 performances with the company from leading roles to comprimario roles including a morning-of jump in for the final dress rehearsal as Diego Rivera in El último sueño de Frida y Diego. Ryan has been seen with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Santa Fe Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the Richmond Symphony, to name a few. Ryan’s 2024/25 season began with a return to LA Opera as the Registrar in Madama Butterfly followed by Count Paris in Roméo et Juliette. In the summer of 2025, Ryan made his house debut with the Santa Fe Opera as Marullo in Rigoletto and covered Schaunard in La Bohéme.

American/Canadian soprano Gabrielle Turgeon is garnering acclaim across North America for a voice critics describe as possessing “the sheen of a seasoned professional,” with a timbre that is “generous, round and luminous”. Critics have also highlighted her compelling stage presence—“visceral… physically and emotionally committed, while the vocal line always remains controlled.” Turgeon’s blend of vocal polish and expressive depth continues to mark her as a rising artist to watch. Turgeon begins the 2026/27 season singing the role of Noy in the much-anticipated world premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s newest opera, The Galloping Cure, presented by Scottish Opera at the Edinburgh International Festival. She also makes her house debut at Pacific Opera Victoria, singing Pamina in The Magic Flute, as well as role debuts at LA Opera and elsewhere.

Mezzo-soprano Katie Trigg is dedicated to exploring the ways music connects with communities and society. Her mission is to contribute to the accessibility of classical music and to create opportunities for audiences to engage deeply and genuinely with her performances. Katie completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Waikato and completed her Master of Music at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she studied with Julia Faulkner. In July 2026, she appears with the Auckland Philharmonia as Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. Recent roles include Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, the Old Lady in Candide and Anna I in Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins, all with Curtis Opera Theatre, and Flora in La Traviata with the Auckland Philharmonia. Katie has recently performed as a soloist for Verdi's Messa da Requiem (Auckland Choral) and C.P.E. Bach's Magnificat (Bach Musica NZ).

Brazilian tenor Samuel Wallace, a member of the Internationales Opernstudio at Opernhaus Zürich. He receives the vital support of the Ibáñez Atkinson Foundation, an institution dedicated to fostering his professional trajectory and development. Recently, in 2024 Samuel Wallace won second place in both the Joaquina Lapinha Vocal Competition and the Natércia Lopes Vocal Competition, in addition to reaching the semifinals of the Paris Opera Competition (2025) in France and being a finalist in the Maria Callas Vocal Competition in Brazil (2024).

Recognized for his “booming baritone voice” and “particularly beautiful tone”, Mario Manzo is quickly becoming an exciting talent to hear and watch on the stage. Previous training includes two summers (2023 and 2024) as a Studio Artist at Wolf Trap Opera, where he performed the role of Wagner in Faust. He also covered the roles of Don Giovanni, Marcello in La Bohème, and both Father Palmer and the British Major in Silent Night by Kevin Puts, and he participated in the company’s Studio Spotlight performances. Mr. Manzo spent the 2024/25 season as a Bailey Apprentice Artist with Palm Beach Opera, making his debut with that company as Grégorio in Roméo et Juliette. He returned there for the 2025/26 season as a Henry and Marsha Laufer Young Artist, performing the roles of Schaunard in La Bohème and Count Monterone in Rigoletto and covering the role of Zurga in The Pearl Fishers.

From: Caracas, Venezuela. LA Opera: Roméo et Juliette (2024, debut). He became Music Director on July 1, 2026. During the 2026/27 season, he will conduct Carmen and Nabucco. In addition to his position at LA Opera, Domingo Hindoyan is the Chief Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and former Principal Guest Conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. During his first season in Liverpool, Hindoyan opened his tenure with a critically acclaimed conducting debut at the BBC Proms, after which he embarked upon various recording projects, the first of which was released in September 2022. He also collaborated with Liverpool’s well established "In Harmony" educational program and continued to demonstrate his commitment to new music with various world premieres and commissions during his second season. Hindoyan has released five albums with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. The first, exploring Roberto Sierra’s music over the last 25 years, was released in April 2023. In October 2023, Hindoyan released Verismo, which explores preludes and intermezzos from Italian operas. His recording of Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony was released in February 2024. His most recent album, Venezuela! Music from the Americas!, was released in October 2024.

Thaddeus Strassberger won the European Opera Prize in 2005 for direction and scenic design. He earned a degree in engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City and received a Fulbright Fellowship to complete the Corso di Specializzazione per Scenografi Realizzatori at the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 2001. Strassberger is a proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Italy and the USA, and lives and runs his studio from London. His work has taken him around to the world where he has created over 75 productions in more than 15 countries, including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, LA Opera and Theater an der Wien.

Mattie Ullrich has designed costumes for opera, theater, film, musicals, dance, and print. Recent opera productions include the world premiere of David T. Little and Royce Vavrek's JFK at Fort Worth Opera, Satyagraha at the Ekaterinburg State Opera and Ballet (Russia), Don Giovanni at the Norwegian Opera and Ballet, The Two Foscari for Theater an der Wien (Vienna, Austria) and Palau des Artes (Valencia, Spain), The Oresteia for Bard SummerScape Festival, Handel's Eliogabalo for Gotham Opera, Nabucco (with productions at the Washington National Opera, Opera de Montreal, Florida Grand Opera and Opera Philadelphia) and Mozart's Zaide for Wolf Trap Opera.

Pablo Santiago is an acclaimed lighting designer whose work seamlessly bridges live performance and digital film, transforming stages into immersive and emotionally resonant environments. At LA Opera, Pablo has designed lighting for standout productions including Highway 1, USA, The Dwarf, Madama Butterfly, The Anonymous Lover, the Pulitzer Prize-winning operas Omar and prism, and revival design for Pelléas and Mélisande, bringing innovative visual storytelling that enhances the emotional depth of each work. Originally from Chiapas, Mexico, Pablo moved to the United States in high school and earned a degree in film from the University of San Diego. Following a 15-year career in major motion pictures, he discovered his true passion for theatrical lighting design and returned to academia, completing his MFA in lighting design at UCLA.

The New York Times described Greg Emetaz’s “excellent introductory videos” as the “highlight” of New York City Opera’s Opera for All program. He has created the behind-scenes documentary of Julie Taymor’s feature film The Tempest, promotional documentaries for the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark along with numerous productions at New York City Opera and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. He served as video director for the 2008-11 NEA Opera Honors, the 2011 NEA Jazz Masters and 2007-10 New York City Opera VOX Showcases. His work as a video designer for the stage includes Dolores Claiborne (world premiere) at San Francisco Opera; Champion (world premiere), Alice in Wonderland (American premiere), The Death of Klinghoffer and The Golden Ticket (world premiere) at Opera Theater of Saint Louis; Ajax at American Repertory Theater; and Wallace Shawn’s The Music Teacher for The New Group. He is the director of the short films Bowes Academy and Death by Omelette (ShortsNonStop finalist) as well as the music videos Eating 4 Two and Butt Drunk (Friar’s Club Film festival special Jury Award) with Amanda DeSimone.

Since joining LA Opera in 2007, he has served as associate chorus director (since 2011) and assistant conductor, and he has worked closely with the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program. Before becoming Chorus Director, he previously directed the LA Opera Chorus for the Plácido Domingo 50th Anniversary Concert (2017) and for The Clemency of Titus (2019). One of his generation’s most respected pianists and vocal coaches, he has collaborated with major opera houses throughout the United States. He has assisted in the preparation of operas and vocal chamber music at the LA Philharmonic. As a pianist, he has partnered with Sondra Radvanovsky, J'Nai Bridges, Eric Owens, Brandon Jovanovich, Rodell Rosel, Dolora Zajick, Kate Lindsey and Susan Graham. He accompanied Joyce DiDonato at the 54th Grammy Awards, the first time the ceremony featured a performance by a classical singer.

A dancer and choreographer, Antonio Najarro graduated with honors in Spanish dance from the Royal Conservatory Professional of Dance Mariemma in Madrid. He has performed as principal dancer in works choreographed by renowned figures including Rafael Aguilar, Antonio Gades, Alberto Lorca, Mairemma, Jose Antonio Ruiz and Jose Granero. Antonio began his professional career at the age of 15 when he joined dance companies including Ballet Anthology, Ballet of the Lyric Theater of La Zarzuela, Antonio Márquez Company, José Antonio and the Spanish Ballets and Aída Gómez Company. He quickly rose to first dancer in the programs of Mariemma, José Granero, Alberto Lorca, José Antonio, Antonio Gades, among others

Ran Arthur Braun is one of the world's most sought-after stunt coordinators and action designers. He has worked on more than 370 live productions to date with leading opera houses and festivals. Specializing in large-scale events led him to collaborate worldwide with major production companies, including venues in Asia and the Middle East. He also enjoys a longstanding collaboration with the Bregenz Festival, where he has worked for more than 21 seasons.

Born in Santiago, Chile, and adopted at birth, Gregory Luis H. Boyle is grateful to have lived and traveled all around the United States to pursue his passion for opera. He happily calls Philadelphia his home. Boyle will be the stage director of Tomer Zvulun’s production of Macbeth at the Atlanta Opera, where he was the stage director for Zvulun’s production of La Bohème as well as the associate director of Rigoletto. Boyle made his Atlanta Opera debut as the assistant director on Tomer Zvulun’s new production of Das Rheingold, which Boyle helped originate at the Dallas Opera, and he continued the journey on Die Walküre in the spring of 2024. He looks forward to the continuation of the cycle with Siegfried in spring of 2025.

Grammy Award-winner Fernando Malvar‑Ruiz serves as artistic director of Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), one of the nation’s premier youth choral organizations. An internationally sought-after conductor, pedagogue and expert in the adolescent voice, he brings more than two decades of experience shaping young singers for the world’s most prestigious stages. Prior to his appointment at LACC in 2018, Malvar‑Ruiz served for 17 years with the renowned American Boychoir, including 13 years as artistic director. Under his leadership, the ensemble toured internationally, collaborated with world-class orchestras—including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony and Berlin Philharmonic—and performed under the batons of conductors such as Pierre Boulez, James Levine and Marin Alsop. His credits also include work with soloists Yo‑Yo Ma, Paul McCartney and Beyoncé, as well as appearances at the Academy Awards and a globally broadcast 9/11 memorial.