OPERA America Unveils 2026 National Opera Trustee Recognition Award Recipients

July 14, 2026 (New York) — OPERA America is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 National Opera Trustee Recognition Awards, which honor outstanding trustees of North American opera companies for their exemplary leadership and service on behalf of their respective organizations.

The 2026 recipients for U.S. opera companies are:

• Thérèse Esperdy, Heartbeat Opera
• Robyn Marie Lamp, Amelia Island Opera
• Cathy Remson Lazarus, Opera San José
• Sylvia Neil, Lyric Opera of Chicago
• Laurie Nelson Randlett, Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera

The Association for Opera in Canada selected Richard Rees of Vancouver Opera as the Canadian recipient of its parallel Best in Governance Award.

See below for full biographies of the honorees.

OPERA America Professional Company Members are invited to nominate one board member for recognition each year. Nominees are evaluated on their contributions to their company's overall success, board effectiveness, community impact, and long-term sustainability.

U.S. nominees are reviewed by a committee of prior honorees. The 2026 committee was chaired by Ruth Harper, Pensacola Opera, and included Jeffrey Cunard, Washington National Opera; Michele Fabrizi, Pittsburgh Opera; Sarah Moulton Faux, American Opera Projects; Arlene Ferebee, Opera Carolina; Stacey Hunt Spier, El Paso Opera; Claire Liu, Houston Grand Opera; Chris Murray, Opera Las Vegas; and John Nesholm, Seattle Opera. Canadian recipients were selected by a committee from the Association for Opera in Canada.

OPERA America will present the National Opera Trustee Recognition Awards at the OPERA America Salutes awards dinner on Friday, March 12, 2027, at The Plaza Hotel in New York City. The event will include cocktails, dinner, and musical performances. The dinner generates essential support for OPERA America's professional development programs. Proceeds underwrite the organization's Leadership Intensive, New General Director Roundtables, and Mentorship Programs. More information and tickets to OPERA America Salutes will be available in late fall 2026.

The National Opera Trustee Recognition Awards are made possible with the generous support of Bank of America.

For more information about the National Opera Trustee Recognition Awards, including past recipients, visit operaamerica.org/NOTRA.

ABOUT THE HONOREES

Thérèse Esperdy, Heartbeat Opera (New York, NY)

Budget 3 Honoree (Annual Company Budget $1M – $3M)

Thérèse Esperdy is a distinguished business leader, arts advocate, and trustee whose career has bridged international banking and finance, corporate board service, and cultural philanthropy. A longtime supporter of the performing arts, she serves as the board chair for Heartbeat Opera and is a member of OPERA America's Trustee Council, where she contributes her expertise to advancing the future of opera in North America.

Esperdy has spent more than three decades in investment banking, holding senior leadership positions at JPMorgan, including global chair of the financial institutions group, co-head of Asia-Pacific corporate and investment banking, and global head of debt capital markets. She is widely recognized for her strategic leadership, global perspective, and commitment to talent development and diversity.

Today, Esperdy serves on the boards of several major international corporations, including Moody's Corporation. She also serves as chair of Imperial Brands PLC, chair designate of Rentokil PLC, and senior independent director of Smith+Nephew. Throughout her board service, she has championed effective governance, strategic clarity, and organizational excellence.

Beyond the corporate sector, Esperdy has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to arts and cultural organizations, supporting and serving on the boards of institutions such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music and RSC America. Her dedication to the arts reflects a belief in the profound importance of cultural institutions in our society and the necessity of ensuring their vitality for future generations.

Robyn Marie Lamp, Amelia Island Opera (Fernandina Beach, FL)

Budget 5 Honoree (Annual Company Budget Under $250K)

Robyn Marie Lamp is an arts administrator, cultural leader, and soprano whose dedication to the performing arts has helped strengthen and expand the cultural landscape of Northeast Florida. As a co-founder and secretary of the board of Amelia Island Opera, Lamp has been an integral part of the organization's development since its founding in 2021. Through her leadership, advocacy, and commitment to artistic excellence, she has helped guide the company from a fledgling startup into one of the region's leading performing arts organizations, supporting its growth in programming, fundraising, audience development, and community engagement.

In addition to her work with Amelia Island Opera, Lamp serves as executive director of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, where she oversees one of Northeast Florida's premier classical music organizations. In this role, she works closely with artists, donors, community partners, and board leadership to advance the festival's mission of presenting world-class chamber music performances and educational programming. Her leadership has strengthened the festival's presence in the community while fostering opportunities for artistic collaboration and audience engagement.

Previously, Lamp served as company manager for IlluminArts, the Miami-based arts organization known for its innovative interdisciplinary performances and commitment to presenting thought-provoking artistic experiences in unique venues. Her work with IlluminArts further established her reputation as a skilled arts administrator capable of balancing artistic vision with organizational leadership.

Alongside her administrative accomplishments, Lamp maintains an active career as a professional soprano. She has appeared with organizations including Boston Lyric Opera, Sarasota Opera, Opera Tampa, Winter Opera St. Louis, Gulfshore Opera, and the Grammy-nominated ensemble Seraphic Fire. Her experience as a performer continues to inform her work as an arts leader, providing valuable insight into the needs of artists and arts organizations alike.

Through her work as an administrator, advocate, and performer, Lamp remains committed to building vibrant cultural institutions and ensuring a strong future for the performing arts.

Cathy Remson Lazarus, Opera San José (San José, CA)

Budget 2 Honoree (Annual Company Budget $3M – $15M)

Cathy Remson Lazarus is a retired public administrator, civic leader, and arts advocate with more than 35 years of experience serving communities throughout Santa Clara County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in environmental planning from Stanford University and a Master of City Planning from Harvard University.

During her public service career, Lazarus held numerous leadership positions with Santa Clara County and served for 15 years as public works director for the City of Mountain View, where she guided critical infrastructure, transportation, and community development initiatives.

An active volunteer and community leader, Lazarus has served as president of the Los Altos–Mountain View League of Women Voters, president of the Santa Clara County–Province of Florence Italy Commission, and president of the Community Services Agency, as well as on numerous citizen advisory and oversight committees.

After supporting Opera San José for many years, Lazarus joined the board in 2020 and is honored to share her expertise in governance, strategic planning, and organizational development. She helped update the company's bylaws and policies and participated in the development of the organization's first strategic plan. She has been board president for the past three years.

Lazarus is passionate about strengthening communities through effective government, civic engagement, and the arts. She believes cultural organizations play a vital role in enriching civic life and fostering community connection. She resides in Los Altos with her husband, Steve, and rescue mutt Arno and is thrilled to have her grandchildren live nearby.

Sylvia Neil, Lyric Opera of Chicago (Chicago, IL)

Budget 1 Honoree (Annual Company Budget Over $15M)

Sylvia Neil became Lyric Opera of Chicago's first female board chair. A longtime subscriber and donor, she and her husband, Dan Fischel, have cosponsored major productions, including Elektra, Madama Butterfly, and The Marriage of Figaro. Neil serves on Lyric's Board of Directors and Executive Committee. After the cancellation of the 2020 Ring cycle, she helped launch and sponsor The Heroes' Fund to address pandemic-related losses. She also created the Enrique Circle to increase fundraising in support of Music Director Enrique Mazzola's exciting artistic vision and legacy.

Neil has had a distinguished career in civil liberties, advocacy, and academia. She is a lecturer in law at the University of Chicago Law School and a former associate dean. She founded the Project on Gender, Culture, Religion, and Law at Brandeis University and has taught at Northwestern, DePaul, and Roosevelt. She previously served as legal counsel and Midwest executive director of the American Jewish Congress.

She currently serves in board roles with Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Brandeis University, and OPERA America.

Laurie Nelson Randlett, Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (Sacramento, CA)

Budget 4 Honoree (Annual Company Budget $250,000 – $1M)

Laurie Nelson Randlett's lifelong love for music and opera never flagged, even as she built a highly successful career over 30 years as a widely respected legislative advocate at the California Legislature, representing consumer product companies primarily, along with significant pro bono work for California's life-saving Poison Control Centers. During her career, she honed her skills and talents with hard work, relentless advocacy, and a 'never say die' attitude, which served her well in what would become the focus of her next chapter: the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera.

Joining the board of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera in 2013, during a dark time, Randlett played an essential role in willing the organization back to life with time, treasure, and tenacity — taking over as president just after the abrupt departure of the executive director. She stood arm in arm with others who would not let the organization fail, even as it navigated the difficult COVID years, until the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera truly found its feet with a talented stable of board and staff leaders, a solid and growing financial base, and an increasingly prominent place in the civic and cultural life of the community. Randlett has been indispensable in the creation of a rare but true 'back from the brink' story where heart and grit were instrumental in bringing a worthy but neglected treasure back to life.

A graduate of the University of Alaska Anchorage with a degree in psychology, Randlett remains a committed student of life who delves seriously into subjects from literature to medicine, supports numerous theatrical and cultural organizations, and maintains a dizzying schedule of trips and events with the four daughters and nine grandchildren she shares with her husband, Jim.

With a passion for opera that remains unabated, Randlett is living a 'dream come true' in helping to bring the joy of music to her beloved Sacramento.

Richard Rees, Vancouver Opera (Vancouver, BC)

Association for Opera in Canada Honoree

In 2017, Richard Rees joined Vancouver Opera's board after stepping down from CEO roles he held over a 27-year career at the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC and Yukon. Rees' leadership has been recognized through a Lifetime Achievement Award from the accounting profession, a Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal, and a Canada's Top 40 Under 40 Award from the Financial Post.

He became Vancouver Opera's treasurer, vice chair, and then chair, serving in that role through the challenging pandemic years of 2020 to 2022. Concurrently, he served on the Vancouver Opera Foundation board and became its chair in 2024. In this role, he works to ensure the fiscal viability of the company.

Rees also currently serves as secretary of Health Research BC. In addition, he has served several academic, health research, and other charitable organizations as board chair and in various other roles. An avid music fan with an interest in diverse types of music, Rees often plans his vacations around concerts or opera. He was also a member of the Vancouver Welsh Men's Choir from 1988 to 1998.

ABOUT OPERA AMERICA

OPERA America (operaamerica.org) leads and serves the entire opera community, supporting the creation, presentation, and enjoyment of opera. The organization is committed to:

• Promoting collaboration and effectiveness among opera companies, universities, and allied businesses.
• Delivering professional development to artists, administrators, and trustees.
• Increasing appreciation of opera through educational and audience development resources.
• Offering support and services that foster the creation and presentation of new works.
• Fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion across all aspects of the opera industry.
• Undertaking national research and representing the field to policymakers and the media.
• Managing the National Opera Center, a custom-built facility that provides a centralized space for collaboration, rehearsal, and performance.

Founded in 1970, OPERA America fulfills its mission through public programs, an annual conference, regional workshops, consultations, granting programs, publications, and online resources. It is the only organization serving all constituents of opera: artists, administrators, trustees, educators, and audience members. Membership includes 200 professional opera companies; 300 associate, business, and education members; and 3,000 individuals. OPERA America extends its reach to 80,000 annual visitors to its National Opera Center and over 83,000 subscribers and followers on digital and social media. Representing over 90 percent of eligible professional companies, OPERA America is empowered to lead field-wide change.

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