MARY BIRNBAUM
Mary Birnbaum has directed opera and music theater around the world, including staging critically acclaimed productions of L'Orfeo, Proving Up, and The Rape of Lucretia at The Juilliard School and The Classical Style at Carnegie Hall. Mary's production of La bohème opened the Santa Fe Opera season in 2019. She has also directed productions at Opera Philadelphia, Seattle Opera, Bard Summerscape, Opera Columbus, Virginia Opera, Virginia Arts Festival, the Ojai Festival, Montclair Peak Performances and Boston Baroque in the U.S, as well as in Taiwan (National Symphony Orchestra), Central America (National Theatre of Costa Rica and Guatemala), Australia and Israel. Nominated for Best Newcomer at The European Opera Awards in 2015, Mary’s production of Dido and Aeneas toured to Opera Holland Park and Opéra de Versailles in 2019. In demand for her skills as a collaborator on new works, Mary has created world premieres of works by contemporary artists including Jeremy Denk, Steven Stucky, and others. She most recently directed the world premiere of In A Grove by Christopher Cerrone and Stephanie Fleischmann at Pittsburgh Opera and will direct the world premiere oratorio ÉMIGRÉ at the New York Philharmonic in collaboration with the Shanghai Symphony. On the faculty of the Juilliard School since 2011, Mary teaches acting to singers and serves as Dramatic Advisor to the Masters degree candidates. She also teaches and coaches for the Lindemann Young Artists Program at the Metropolitan Opera. A graduate of Harvard College, Mary trained professionally in physical theater at L’École Jacques Lecoq in Paris. To learn more about Mary please visit: www.marybirnbaum.com.
LAURIE ROGERS
Laurie Rogers (she/her) is the Festival Artist Program Director and Head of Music Staff at Opera Saratoga. She is also the Music Director of the Peabody Opera, where she has worked since 2020. Laurie is a graduate of the New England Conservatory. She has conducted all over the world, including Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, Los Angelas Opera, San Diego Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, and many more. To learn more about Laurie please visit: Laurie Rogers | Peabody Institute (jhu.edu).