Past Recipients

Colombian-born conductor Lina González-Granados joined the LA Opera family in 2022 as Resident Conductor, making her company debut with the season-opening production of Lucia di Lammermoor and subsequently conducting a concert presentation of The Rape of Lucretia, with a cast featuring singers from the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program. In the 2023/24 season, her appearances with LA Opera include conducting the company premiere of Gabriela Lena Frank’s El último sueño de Frida y Diego and the world premiere of Joel Thompson's concert work Fire and Blue Sky, composed for tenor Russell Thomas. For the 2024/25 season, she will conduct Romeo et Juliette, Gustavo Santaollala's new score for Dracula, the company premiere of Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar and a concert with soprano Angel Blue and the LA Opera Orchestra.

In addition to her LA Opera engagements, her 2023/24 season has her leading performances across the globe, including debuts with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico, I Musici de Montreal, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, New World Symphony, Euskadio Orkestra, and the San Antonio Philharmonic. She is also set to return to Chicago to conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with additional performances across the U.S. and internationally to be announced.

She has distinguished herself nationally and internationally as a gifted conductor of symphonic and operatic repertoire. Her dedication to highlighting new and unknown works by Latin-American composers has earned international recognition. In 2021, she was awarded the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the third prize and ECHO Special Award (European Concert Hall Organization) of La Maestra Competition, and the 2020 and 2021 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award. 

In 2020, she won the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition and became the new Solti Conducting Apprentice under the guidance of Riccardo Muti. She has held positions as Conducting Fellow of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Seattle Symphony.  

Lina González-Granados is an active and fervent advocate for inclusion and development of new works for chamber and large orchestra from Latin-American composers. She is the founder and artistic director of Unitas Ensemble, a chamber orchestra that performs the works of Latin-American composers and provides access to free community performances for underserved communities. 

Her engagements for the 2022/23 season include a return to the Seattle Symphony and debut appearances with the Orchestre Metropolitain, Indianapolis Symphony, Sarasota Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, Philadelphia Opera, Borusan Philharmonic, Aalborg Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia, as well as performances at Caramoor and Grafenegg Festivals. 

Learn more at LinaGonzalezGranados.com.

A member of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program from 2014 to 2017, bass-baritone Nicholas Brownlee made his first LA Opera appearance in 2015, performing several roles in The Ghosts of Versailles. He has appeared in 10 productions with the company to date, including performances in the leading roles of Colline in La Bohème (2016 and 2019) and Nourabad in The Pearl Fishers (2017).  

He now sings leading roles in the world's major opera houses, with recent appearances as Henry VIII in Anna Bolena at the Vienna State Opera, Colline in La Bohème with the Vienna State Opera, Metropolitan Opera and Munich's Bavarian State Opera, Wotan in Das Rheingold with Dallas Opera, and the title role of The Flying Dutchman, Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde with Santa Fe Opera.  

His appearances for the 2023/24 season included returns to the ensemble at Oper Frankfurt as Amonasro in a new production of Aida (Amonasro) and revivals of Salome (Jochanaan) and Carmen (Escamillo). Additional season highlights included debuts with Irish National Opera as Méphistophélès in Faust, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma as Jochanaan in Salome, Dutch National Opera as Don Pizarro in Fidelio, and the Bayreuth Festival as Donner in Das Rheingold. Future seasons include Wotan in a new Ring cycle at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, as well as debuts at Semperoper Dresden, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and a return to the Bayreuth Festival. 

Learn more at BrownleeBassBaritone.com.

Interview: March 22, 2022

Tenor Ben Bliss first set foot in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 2011 as a member of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program. Nearly 10 years later, he has made a name for himself in theaters and concert halls around the world.  

He’s been hailed by New York Classical Review as “one of the leading Mozartian tenors,” gaining a reputation as one of the most valuable and versatile performers of his generation.  

With Ben’s busy career, there’s no doubt the Eva and Marc Stern Award will ease the financial burden he faces as a world traveling opera singer with an expansive repertoire.  

“There's always a lot of expenses to take care of—flying around the country or the world to see your voice teacher or your vocal coach. There's a lot of odds and ends to take care of. So this award will have no trouble finding ways to help smooth the path towards my operatic future.” 

And what an operatic future he has. He's already performed the memorable leading roles of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Ferrando in Così fan tutte at the Metropolitan Opera and, of course, his 2016 appearance as Tamino in our production of The Magic Flute and—this year—as a soloist in our presentation of St. Mathew Passion.  

“I have so many amazing memories from LA Opera, but coming back to sing Tamino, my first role here no longer as a Young Artist, is definitely at the top,” he said.  

Ben credits his early years at LA Opera—and his friendships with Marc and Eva Stern—for kickstarting his career.  

“I've met so many great friends and mentors and colleagues here, Marc and Eva Stern being two of them. Their friendship and support has really made all the difference. When I heard about this award, I was just so pleased and so thrilled and so honored that this place and these people—who gave me my start—want to turn around and recognize the work that I have done because of the opportunity that they gave me. I just couldn't be more humbled.”  

He goes on to describe the lasting effect Marc and Eva’s support has had on him and his operatic journey.  

“I can't thank Marc and Eva enough for the way their support of LA Opera has dramatically changed and influenced the course of my life, as well as the cultural life of the entire city of Los Angeles and thereby the whole country. I hesitate to think what our artistic landscape would be like here, and how my life would be different, were not for their support.” 

Interview: March 22, 2022

Mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges has been dubbed opera’s “rising star” by the Los Angeles Times—and with good reason.  

She’s dazzled audiences at the Metropolitan Opera, Dutch National Opera, San Francisco Opera and Zurich Opera House and gave a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall (to name a few). But our favorite performances of hers happened a lot closer to home. She made her company debut in 2016 as Nefertiti in Akhnaten. Two years later, she returned for another role debut as Kasturbai in Satyagraha.  

“Those productions really garnered such attention and such a buzz in the opera house. It was just really amazing to be in that energy. And people still talk about those productions today,” she said.  

“One of my favorite memories, in fact, is with Marc and Eva Stern after Satyagraha opened. We were all on the dance floor and I turned to Marc and Eva and they were just having the best time. That just made me so happy and so excited because not only are they serious about making beautiful art and being incredible philanthropists, but they are a lot of fun. So it's nice to walk into the opera house and immediately feel comfortable because of their energy and their great support.” 

The Sterns' support of J’Nai goes far beyond her appearances on our stage. This award will help her prepare for dozens of exciting engagements around the world. 

“It's such a big help to receive this generous gift, and as I'm sure many people know—or maybe they don't know—it is quite an expense to be an opera singer. So, I plan to use these funds towards coachings and lessons, which are always never ending. I'm always learning new music, and so my amazing coaches will assist me with that.” 

J’Nai also considers Eva and Marc Stern to be some of the most generous people she knows, and is inspired by all they do for the opera world. 

“To be a recipient of this award is a great honor, and I'm just extremely grateful for it. As opera singers, we are challenged daily. So to just be recognized for our hard work—and in this case—my hard work, it really is very special. I'm just so grateful for that recognition, and it inspires me to keep going.” 

Click here to learn more about J'Nai Bridges.

Interview: March 22, 2022

Liv Redpath is quickly becoming a leading soprano leggero on the opera and concert stage today. She’s already performed in some of the biggest theaters worldwide and continues to add major debuts to her growing resume. But before she was a globetrotting performer, she was learning the operatic ropes in LA Opera's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program.  

“I was a Young Artist at LA Opera for three years—three incredible years—where I learned so much and I got to spend time with some of my favorite people,” she said. “I sang things like Gretel in Hansel and Gretel and Amour in Orpheus and Eurydice, both of which were just gorgeous productions with amazing fellow singers and mentors.”  

The relationships she made at LA Opera have followed her throughout her career, and especially now as a recipient of the Eva and Marc Stern Artist Award.  

“I can't tell you how honored I am to be a recipient of this award and how much it will help me, and how much it means to me. I'm just amazed that Eva and Marc have such generosity and such thought for the care of opera on a macroscope, but also for us individual artists. I think it speaks volumes about them as people and about LA Opera's culture and how much they all care.” 

This award comes at the perfect time, too. Liv has some very exciting performances and debuts lined up, and this award will help her prepare for those new roles. 

“I have a lot of new roles coming up, and I want to be very prepared for these and give them their due. I’ll be using this amazing award to fund my lessons and my coachings with my favorite people, who I got from my time at LA Opera and who continue to be my touchstones today. So, there are a lot of good things coming up, and this award is unbelievably helpful for that.” 

One of those “good things” includes an appearance in our 2022/23 season in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor, which she’s currently performing at Deutsche Oper Berlin.  

“I can tell you, after my second performance [in Berlin], I'm unbelievably excited to continue tackling this role. It just kind of fits like a glove. I can’t wait to see you all in the fall.”  

Click here to learn more about Liv.

Interview: March 10, 2021

Angel Blue is the kind of breathtaking artist who hardly needs an introduction. This astounding soprano has taken the opera world by storm, performing on stages around the world to thunderous applause and lots of “bravos.” It’s almost like she was born to be an opera singer—and she sort of was.  

When you ask a little kid what they want to be when they grow up, the answer “an opera singer” usually doesn’t make the list. Unless you’re Angel Blue.   

“I first decided that I wanted to become an opera singer quite early. I was only four years old. And that was because my parents took me to see a concert performance of Turandot by Giacomo Puccini. And I fell in love with opera at the very early age of four. Ever since then, I've just always had this zeal for opera, for singing.” 

Her zeal for opera and runs in the family. Her father Sebastian was also classically trained, and he introduced her to recordings of all the greats. Namely, the incomparable Leontyne Price, who became one of Angel’s biggest influences.  

“Leontyne Price has been my favorite soprano since I was about five years old. My father gave me a recording of her album called A Program of Song, and I’ve listened to her ever since. Her life story inspires me on so many levels. Opera is synonymous with Leontyne Price for me.” 

Thanks to her father’s encouragement (and impeccable taste in music) and Angel’s own natural talent, she was accepted into a music studies program at UCLA where she discovered LA Opera's Young Artist Program.  

“I was studying at UCLA, and there was this new program that everybody was talking about it. I thought, wow, I would love to get into that program and to study at LA Opera. That just sounded so great to me. 

“I went to audition and the program director at the time said to me, ‘Oh, you're wonderful, but you're really green.’ And I thought, ‘Green? What does that mean? My last name is Blue. What is she talking about?’ So then she explained to me, ‘Oh, there's a lot you have to learn.’ And so LA Opera brought me into the program at first as an intern, and to my knowledge, I am the only person who's been an intern with [the Young Artist Program].”  

After two years of rigorous study with the Young Artist Program and with her father, Angel upgraded her title from intern to official young artist.  

“When my relationship with LA Opera started, it really was the very beginning of my professional career as an opera singer. I've learned so much about the career, about singing, about all of what it means, I suppose, to be an international opera singer. I would not have had that experience, I think, had my roots not been planted at LA Opera.” 

Her first performance on the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion stage wasn’t exactly an entry-level role: she was Musetta in 2007 student matinees of La Bohème. Her “official” LA Opera debut came in La Rondine as Suzy (one of heroine Magda’s glamorous courtesan friends), shortly followed by an appearance as one of the nuns in Suor Angelica. And if the coronavirus hadn’t interfered, she would have opened the 2020/21 season as Leonora in Il Trovatore, a painful loss for local opera lovers. (But don’t worry! She’s scheduled for a much-anticipated return in a future season as opera's ultimate diva: Tosca.)   

But this prolific singer has graced more than just our stage. From the Metropolitan Opera (where she has triumphed as both Mimi and Musetta in La Bohème as well as in a season-opening new production of Porgy and Bess) to Milan’s La Scala (where she debuted as Violetta in La Traviata) and everywhere in between, Angel Blue’s stunning performances in theaters around the world have made her one of today’s most important sopranos. 

And even with all of those trips around the globe, one of Angel’s most memorable experiences in her career happened off the stage.  

“I had the opportunity to work with Hi-Ho Kids in 2018 thanks to Seattle Opera, and I had the opportunity to introduce opera to a group of young people. They were about ages 6 to 13 and the video itself on YouTube went viral. And that was something I think I would put that at the top of my list for being the highlights of my opera career.” 

But her latest career defining moment hits a bit closer to home. 

“Winning the Eva and Marc Stern award is so humbling. When I was a young artist at LA Opera, I had the pleasure of meeting and knowing both Marc and Eva. Just the fact that the trajectory of my career has been followed by them and by LA Opera means a lot to me. I think that being one of the inaugural winners of this award also shows—and I say this in humility—that I've not been forgotten. And I'm very thankful for that.” 

Learn more about Angel at AngelJoyBlue.com.

Interview: March 10, 2021

Janai Brugger is an incredible artist, a mesmerizing performer, an extraordinarily kind and gracious human, and an exceptionally valued friend—and that’s not even scratching the surface.

This talented soprano has been a friend of the company for 11 years, going all the way back to 2010 when she was just starting out in the industry as part of our Young Artist Program.  

Fast forward to March 2021 and Janai Brugger has solidified herself as one of opera’s rising stars—and one of our favorite artists to work with. There was no question that we were eager to recognize her talents through the new Eva and Marc Stern Artist Award. And since we already have the pleasure of knowing Janai, we wanted to make sure you did too.  

It’s hard for us to imagine Janai as anything but an opera singer, but believe it or not, she didn’t see herself becoming one when she first started performing. 

“My journey to becoming an opera singer is quite interesting because I never saw myself as an opera singer. I thought I would be doing musical theater. That was what my passion was. I was in junior high when I got to sing my first musical, The Music Man. I got trained classically when I was a freshman in high school. And as I did competitions, I entered both divisions, classical and musical theater, and I always seemed to advance in the classical category. So when it came time to pick a college to go to, and what my focus was going to be, I went ahead and went with voice performance as an opera singer.” 

“After those four years, I took a two-year break because I was a little wiped out from the rigorousness of those courses, but I still kept up with my voice lessons and coaching. And I'd say after two years, I realized that I really wanted to go back into singing and felt ready to tackle a master's degree. So I auditioned, and I was fortunate to get into the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I had two amazing years at University of Michigan, and even met my husband there.”  

After spending some time in Michigan, and with her master’s in hand, Janai made the move to Los Angeles to join our Young Artist Program in 2010. “I think [the program] is really where I learned to be an artist and learned who I was as an artist and what kind of artist I wanted to be.” 

And learn she did. From her 2010 debut role as Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro to her first leading role on our stage as Musetta in La Bohème two years later, Janai’s growing artistry was evident. After graduating from the Young Artist Program in 2012, she moved on to compete—and place first in—some of the most renowned opera competitions around.  

Her wins at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and then, just a few months later, at Operalia undoubtedly catapulted her career. “And the rest is kind of history,” said Janai.  

But she was only getting started. 

Fresh off those career boosting wins (and freshly out of our Young Artist Program), Janai made her way to the holy grail of operatic stages: the Metropolitan Opera.  

“I made my Met debut in 2012 when I was seven months pregnant as Liu in Turandot. I had all the sort of emotions, excitement, and nerves that you can imagine, but it was thrilling. It was one of the most glamorous, gorgeous sets I've ever, ever been on. It was amazing to step onto that stage and to be on that set.” 

If taking the Met stage while seven months pregnant wasn’t enough, Janai would soon sing for a different type of audience: Supreme Court justices.  

“A big career highlight for me was getting to sing at the Supreme Court. I got to meet the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg and some of the Supreme Court justices. It was just amazing. I had my family there: my husband, my mom, my dad. It was an incredible experience.”  

She’s now sung six different leading roles at the Met and has had major debuts with companies like Covent Garden, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Cincinnati Opera and Dutch National Opera, not to mention concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra. She’s even sung on the soundtrack for HBO’s acclaimed Lovecraft Country. Fortunately for Angelenos, she’s also made it back to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for regular appearances, including a 2016 reprise of Musetta and more recent star turns as Pamina in The Magic Flute and Servilia in The Clemency of Titus. (She was also supposed to sing Zerlina in Don Giovanni here in 2021, one of the many pandemic cancelations.) 

[Update: She returned in 2023 to star as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro.]

“Singing on the LA Opera stage is always a thrill, whether it's for an opera or a concert it's always a thrill. The audience is so, so welcoming and it feels like home. Anytime I get to come back to L.A., it's just like coming home in a way.” 

And while there are dozens of people who make L.A. feel like home for Janai, two members of the LAO family have been supporting her since the beginning: Marc and Eva Stern.  

“I think in my first year here, Eva took me shopping for gowns. I actually still have that dress, and it’s one of my favorites. Marc and Eva are wonderful people I've had the pleasure getting to know during my time as a Young Artist in L.A. They're always encouraging young artists at every production. It's a big, big honor to receive something in their name.” 

Click here to learn more about Janai.

Interview: March 10, 2021

Craig Colclough is a bass-baritone of breathtaking sound, charisma and expression. His exceptional artistry is just one of the reasons why we—and other opera companies around the world—love to have him on stage. Get to know the man behind the voice, and why this SoCal native was chosen as one of the first recipients of the Eva and Marc Stern Artist Award. 

“The first time I realized that live performance was what I wanted to do for a career, I was in junior high. I came to a magnet school for the performing arts in Claremont to see their annual musical, which was The Secret Garden. It was incredible and so, so moving. It really transported me. It was my first time experiencing the magic of live performance. I immediately was like ‘That's what I'm going to do. That's what I'm going to be.’” 

And in 2008, that’s exactly what he did.  

“My relationship with Los Angeles Opera has been essential throughout my career. The first major production I was a part of was at LA Opera.” 

He made his company debut as Guccio in our 2008 production of Gianni Schicchi. Craig’s distinctive bass-baritone made him a frequent face on our stage, with supporting roles in Madama Butterfly and Billy Budd. But one of his favorite memories is from his time on our 2009 production of The Barber of Seville. 

"I played the police captain who comes in to break up the ruckus. I only sing maybe seven syllables, but I got to be on stage as Juan Diego Flórez sings an aria that most tenors can’t do. But of course, he’s doing it and sounds incredible. I remember thinking ‘I’d be so happy just doing this, singing my seven-syllable line and coming on stage to hear this incredible music. I could do this every week for the rest of my life and I’d be totally content.’” 

After two seasons performing regularly on our stage, he joined Florida Grand Opera’s Young Artist Studio, and in 2012, became a Filene Young Artist at the Wolf Trap Opera Company. 

Over the next few years, Craig started getting steady work on stages around the world. This included a few returns to LA Opera, including his first big role with the company: an updated version of The Marriage of Figaro’s Count in the 2015 Off Grand production of ¡Figaro! (90210).  

In 2018, he found himself as an understudy for the title role of Falstaff at one of the world’s top houses: the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. Another great friend of LA Opera, soprano Ana María Martínez, was appearing as Alice Ford (the main target of Falstaff’s desire). He remembers when she offered to stay behind to work with him during one of his cover rehearsals. 

“I had a rehearsal immediately after hers. She just joined me and said, ‘I figured it would be easier if you had somebody to do it with.’ She’s this huge talent who took the time to be kind to me. That’s something I want to emulate. That is what makes this art form beneficial, both onstage for the audience and offstage for everybody who puts their heart and soul into it.’” 

Over the years, Craig has definitely put his heart and soul into his work. He progressed to performing the title role of Falstaff in a new Christoph Waltz production in Belgium, the title role of Don Pasquale for Minnesota Opera, The Ring of Polykrates for Dallas Opera, Donner in Das Rheingold for Arizona Opera and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the LA Philharmonic. And in 2019, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of Macbeth, opposite the fabulous Anna Netrebko. 

To date, Craig has sung 11 roles at LA Opera, most recently as Monterone in Rigoletto and the Father in Hansel and Gretel. And he was all set to star as Figaro in the (postponed) June 2020 production of The Marriage of Figaro. 

[Update: Fortunately, he returned to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 2023 as Figaro and then as Leporello in Don Giovanni, and he'll be back in 2024 as Capulet in Romeo and Juliet.] 

Even though opera has taken him around the world, Los Angeles (and LA Opera in particular) will always be his home. Winning the Eva and Marc Stern Artist Award only solidifies it. 

“Having grown up in the suburbs and living in a very small town, the city of Los Angeles was this magical kingdom. I'd be on the 10 freeway driving into the city, and you turn a corner and suddenly the skyscrapers are just perfectly in front of you in the night sky with all their lights—it gave me butterflies every time.” 

“Winning this award was not even something I knew could happen. So to say it's a fulfillment of my dream is not entirely true because it's a little beyond my dream. It's a little further than even I had hoped. I feel incredibly grateful, both for the people at the company who have put their faith in me and who have led me, and who have helped me get to this point.” 

Click here to learn more about Craig.

Interview: March 10, 2021

Kate Lindsey continues to redefine what it means to be a bright opera star in the world of modern classical music. This mezzo-soprano has wowed audiences in theaters around the globe with her “luminous and intelligent singing” and sensational embodiment of each role she takes on. 

Kate grew up as the youngest of three kids in a musical family, so it was only a matter of time before she joined the family trade.  

“My sister and brother were always in choir and dancing and singing,” she said. “I basically just wanted to do everything that they were doing, so I got the performing bug quite early., But I was a really, really shy child, so I would do a lot of performing on my own in a dark room somewhere, just for my own enjoyment.” 

After a few years of secret solo shows in bedrooms and basements, Kate overcame her stage fright and stepped into the limelight... of her high school chorus. Little did she know that’s where her operatic journey would begin.  

“When I was about 15 years old, I was started singing in choir in high school. A friend sitting next to me said that she took voice lessons from this really great teacher she thought I'd get on really well with. She invited me to come along with her one day. As it happened, this teacher only taught classical voice, and at the time, I didn't really know anything about it. I just had a basic experience of classical music through choir and things like that at school. But I didn't know anything about opera, per se. This teacher took me on and started me out with the Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias book.” (It's a classic that so many opera singers start out with.) "She really taught me from scratch and encouraged me to give opera a try.” 

She did more than “try.” Kate immersed herself in the classical music world, taking inspiration from some of the greats.  

“The first recordings I ever had of an opera singer were of Renée Fleming. I would put those on in my little boom box at home and play those. I was also really struck by Tatiana Troyanos’ recordings. I was really fascinated with her because of the inherent vulnerability that she allowed forth in her performing. You can hear it come through in the voice.” 

After completing her degree in music at Indiana University, Kate was accepted into Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Singers program, where her door to the opera world opened.   

“Santa Fe's young artist program gave me a really valuable view into the sort of wider world of opera as a profession. I met other singers and young artists from different schools and programs. It opened up an entirely new world for me, which was really key early on in my career.” 

Once she finished her time in New Mexico, Kate made the cross-country trek to New York where she trained with the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. All her hard work surely paid off; after a handful of small roles at the Met, she was cast as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro in 2007, when she was fresh out of the program.  

“A highlight of my career probably would be when I came out of the young artist program at the Met, and they gave me the role of Cherubino. And it was the first season that I was out of the program. It was really quite special, and it meant a lot because it also felt like a vote of confidence and faith from people who had invested in me during those early years.” 

After her bows on the Met stage, Kate made her way to the Golden State to perform on ours.  

“I first came to LA Opera in 2011. I was singing Zaida in The Turk in Italy. I was there rehearsing in February of 2011. I can't believe it's been exactly 10 years ago now!” 

That same season, she starred as Mrs. Noah in the beloved (and free) Cathedral production of Noah’s Flood as part of the company's Connects community programming. And in the 10-year span since then, Kate’s returned to the company’s main stage as Angelina (Cinderella) in La Cenerentola in 2013 and as Nicklausse/Muse in The Tales of Hoffmann in 2017. She would have taken on another role with us in 2020 as Mélisande in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, but COVID-19 had other plans.  

“I was supposed to come to Los Angeles again in April 2020 to start rehearsals. I was just finishing up a contract at the Metropolitan Opera in March when things started to obviously get quite serious with the pandemic around the world. We were trying to figure out what to do and where to be, and no one knew what was going to happen. I think the difficulty in the loss of that project was honestly the fact that I was just so excited to be a part of the production with director David McVicar and to come back to Los Angeles.” 

Through all that loss, the thing she missed most was the LA Opera community. 

“When you've worked with a company several times, there's something so comforting about coming back. You know, when you live a life on the road, not being able to come back to a company with a community of people that you really hold dear is as much of a loss as anything.” 

Among those Kate holds dear are two incredibly special members of the company: Marc and Eva Stern. She remembers how welcoming they were when she first arrived in Los Angeles. 

“I remember very distinctly Marc coming over and introducing himself and being so warm and welcoming, and saying, ‘You know, please reach out if there’s anything you need.’ And I was thinking, ‘This is a person on the board of the opera who's coming to me and welcoming me in such a warm way.’ And you know, a lot of the time, you never really believe that someone actually means it when they say that. But what I came to find out through all those years is that he and Eva actually absolutely mean it.” 

To be named one of the inaugural winners of the Marc and Eva Stern Artist Award is at least some consolation for the missed opportunity to perform with LA Opera, a company that owes so much of its success to the Sterns. 

“I think that just sort of shows the beauty of Marc and Eva as a couple and the way they work and how open they are. It's a real gift to have that level of heart open for everyone, and to sort of be like the Mama and Papa of the company in essence. It makes all of us feel really cared for.” 

Learn more about Kate at KateLindsey.com.

Interview: March 10, 2021

He’s got a Grammy Award, he’s sung starring roles at major opera companies worldwide, and he's a featured voice in Disney’s Coco—and that’s not even the half of it.

Joshua Guerrero, one of the opera world’s fast-rising tenors, has already had quite the career. Better yet, he’s just getting started. Read on to learn more about Joshua, how he got into opera, and how he feels about being one of the first to receive the Eva and Marc Stern Award. 

With a talent like Joshua’s, you’d think he would have been refining it his entire life. But surprisingly enough, he didn’t even get into music and performance (let alone opera) until his twenties.  

“I got into opera later in my life. I didn't grow up in choirs or anything like that,” Joshua said with a laugh. 

“I stumbled into music while I was at seminary school. I began to really explore music vocally in my third year. I was in the music building because I had to research some sacred arias. I remember walking down the hall and listening to this magical aria. I was so moved by it, I kind of just went out on a limb and asked the choir director to audition me.” 

Thanks to that one choir director, Joshua began his foray into the world of opera. He started learning about the genre and training his voice like never before. But once he knew a life working in the clergy wasn’t for him, he left seminary school and moved back to his hometown of Las Vegas where he kept his voice warm in an... unusual (yet utterly charming) way.  

“I moved back to Las Vegas and needed a job. I was told that they were hiring singing gondoliers at the Venetian Resort and Casino. So I auditioned for it and got the job, and I did that for a couple of years.” 

After some time on the Vegas strip, he made his way to Los Angeles to pursue his operatic dreams.  

“I would get gigs on weekends, you know, weddings, funerals, special events, things like that. Then my former voice teacher told me about an opera competition in Palm Springs. So I entered and ended up being one of the finalists, but I didn't place. The lady who was accompanying for the competition was on staff at UCLA. She pulled me to the side and said, ‘Hey, I think you got a little talent.’ And she urged me to attend UCLA to study opera.” 

At 27, Joshua wasn’t sure going back to school was for him. But after six months of persuasion, he decided to take the plunge and attended UCLA.  

"I was auditing courses and working with different teachers. One of them had a connection to LA Opera and told me I should audition for the Young Artist Program.” 

He officially joined the LAO family in 2012 after a stupendously successful audition. Joshua spent three years training with the company. During that time, he made his main stage debut as Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor in 2014. The next year, he took on the leading role of Greenhorn (aka Ishmael) in Moby-Dick and gave a stellar performance as Count Almaviva in The Ghosts of Versailles. Audiences didn’t have to wait too long for his return either. He came back as Macduff in Macbeth in 2016.  

But even though opera has taken Joshua around the world, Los Angeles is still one of his favorite places to perform.  

“LA is such a special place to me. I love the community here. I love that the coaches actually took an interest in what I had to offer, even when I was as green as they come. They were very faithful. I've never had an organization believe in me like the way LA Opera has, and I'll always be grateful for that.” 

Seeing firsthand how Joshua's career launched so spectacularly in Los Angeles, it made perfect sense that he was chosen as one of the inaugural artists recognized with the Eva and Marc Stern Artist Award.  

“I'm just humbled by the fact that I'm one of the first recipients for this. Marc is so passionate about his legacy and what he leaves here and the fact that he has his hand in [different arts organizations] from the Broad to LA Opera. The generosity of people like him is what makes dreams for people like me come true. I'm just so humbled by their graciousness and their constant involvement with the arts in Los Angeles.”