Carmen

From: Caracas, Venezuela. LA Opera: Romeo and Juliet (2024, debut). He will become Music Director in the 2026/27 season.

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.

In the 2024/25 season, his fourth season as Chief Conductor with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Domingo's concert highlights include Mahler’s First and Third Symphonies, and the next installment of his exploration of Bruckner’s symphonies, this time taking on the Ninth. In addition, Domingo returned to the Vienna State Opera and made his debut at both LA Opera and the Paris Opera. He also makes a long awaited debuts with BBC Symphony Orchestra and Houston Symphony.

Highlights of the 2023/24 season included an acclaimed tour of Japan with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, concerts in the USA with the Boston Symphony, LA Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and in Europe with the Orchestre National de Bordeaux Aquitaine and Aarhus Symphony Orchestra.

On the opera stage in recent seasons, he has led various productions with the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Opera National de Bordeaux, Chicago Lyric Opera, Liceu Opera Barcelona, Wiener Staatsoper, Teatro Real Madrid, Opera du Rhin, Royal Swedish Opera, Opera Dijon and Royal Opera House Muscat.

Hindoyan continues to enjoy a vibrant career leading acclaimed ensembles and orchestras around the world including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, New World Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, Orchestra National du Capitole de Toulouse and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. He has also conducted concerts and operas at many renowned festivals, such as the Menuhin Festival Gstaad and as a regular guest at the Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier.

Domingo Hindoyan was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He began his career as a violinist and member of the renowned Venezuelan musical education program El Sistema, and then was a member of Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. He later went on to study conducting in Europe at the Haute École de Musique de Genève with Professor Laurent Gay and was the first assistant to Daniel Barenboim at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin between 2013 and 2016.

DomingoHindoyan.com

Photo: Chelsea Lauren

From: New York, New York. LA Opera: The Two Foscari (2012, debut); Nabucco (2017); The Clemency of Titus (2018).

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.

He returned to Oper im Steinbruch Sankt Margarethen in 2024 to direct and design a large scale open-air Aida, after previously directing Turandot there in 2021, a production seen by nearly 100,000 people in the historic quarry amphitheater in Burgenland near Vienna as well as broadcast live on ORF across Austria. Also in 2024, he made his debut at Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège with La Traviata, returning in 2025 to open the season with Faust. He makes his debut with La Monnaie/De Munt in Brussels with a new production of Benvenuto Cellini in 2026. 

Recent new productions include Boris Godunov and Werther (Tiroler Landestheater), Nabucco (Palau de las Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia; Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe), Carmen (Danish National Opera), The Demon (Bard Summerscape, New York), Silent Light, a new work by Paola Prestini and Royce Vavrek (Banff Centre), The Girl of the Golden West (NCPA Beijing) and The Nutcracker (IU Ballet).

His production of Satyagraha, the first production of a Philip Glass opera in Russia, won the 2014 Bravo Award for Best Production and was awarded two Golden Mask Awards. Also in Ekaterinburg he staged Weinberg’s The Passenger, which was also seen at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, and Martinů's A Greek Passion in a new Russian translation. These productions remain in repertoire at the Ural Opera and have collectively played more than 200 performances to eager audiences.

Other past productions include Rigoletto, Andrea Chenier and The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe (Staatstheater Braunschweig), The Two Foscari (Theater an der Wien, LA Opera, Palau de las Arts Valencia) and The Marriage of Figaro, The Rape of Lucretia and Don Giovanni (The Norwegian Opera), the world premieres of David T. Little's JFK (Opera de Montreal/Fort Worth) and Søren Nils Eichberg's Glare (Covent Garden), Un Ballo in Maschera, The Tales of Hoffmann and The Queen of Spades (Tiroler Landestheater Innsbruck), a fully immersive full-scale Salome (Tulsa Opera) and Hamlet (Washington National Opera, Minnesota Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City).

For Bard SummerScape in New York, he created productions of Les Huguesnots, Der ferne Klang and Le roi malgré lui (co-produced with Wexford Festival), his widely acclaimed production of Sergei Tanejev’s monumental opera Oresteia, the first staging of the neglected masterpiece to be seen outside of Russia, and Ethyl Smyth’s The Wreckers. His production of Nabucco has been seen at LA Opera, Washington National Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Florida Grand Opera, and Opera de Montreal.

He served as creative director for Riyadh Season Opening Parade Ceremonies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in October 2021. The event with a cast of nearly a thousand performers was produced by Balich Wonder Studios and was attended by over 500,000 spectators and broadcast live on national television.

He has also served as a creative consultant on several large-scale ceremonies and performances in Saudi Arabia, helping to shape the emerging creative identity of the culturally rich region. For Opera America, he has served on jury panels for grant awards totaling over half a million dollars. He has worked with the young artist program participants in many major opera houses including LA Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Minnesota Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and IVAI in Italy.

Learn more at tstrassberger.com.

From: San Diego, California. LA Opera: The Two Foscari (2012, debut); Nabucco (2017); The Clemency of TItus (2019).

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.

She has designed many new Off-Broadway plays including The Starry Messenger with Mathew Broderick, The Pride directed by  Joe Mantello, Fault Lines directed by David Schwimmer, Things We Want directed by Ethan Hawke and the popular one-woman show Bad Dates starring Julie White and directed by John Benjamin Hickey for Playwrights Horizons.

Film projects include Year of the Fish (Sundance), the multi-festival, award-winning short Sovereignty, and Shoplifting Chanel.

Learn more at MattieUllrich.com.

From: Chiapas, Mexico. LA Opera: prism (2018, debut); The Anonymous Lover (2020, LAO On Now); Breaking the Waves (2021, LAO On Now); Omar (2022); Highway 1, USA (2024); The Dwarf (2024); Madama Butterfly (2024); Hildegard (2025); La Bohème (2025); Falstaff (2026).

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.

Pablo’s designs are driven by the creation of evocative visual moments that connect deeply with a production’s emotional core, inviting audiences to journey beyond the stage through imagery that sparks the imagination.

His extensive portfolio includes work for renowned venues and organizations such as LA Opera, the Kennedy Center, Teatro Municipal São Paulo, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Boston Lyric Opera, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Goodman Theatre, BAM-Harvey Theater, Geffen Playhouse and the Hollywood Bowl. He has also collaborated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, showcasing his versatility across genres and scales.

Dedicated to storytelling through light, Pablo continues to push the boundaries of the craft, illuminating narratives that captivate and inspire audiences around the world.

Learn more at PabloSantiagoDesign.com.

From: Vancouver, Washington. LA Opera: The Clemency of Titus (2019).

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.

From: Glendive, Montana. LA Opera: He became Chorus Director in 2022, after working on over 75 productions as associate chorus director and/or assistant conductor. He is a coach for the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program.

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.

In partnership with the Getty Villa and LACMA in Los Angeles and the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., he has curated multimedia recitals which draw connections between the classical vocal repertoire and special exhibits in the museums. He is a frequent collaborator at Wolf Trap Opera as an assistant conductor, chorus master and recitalist. He has been a guest coach at the Opernfestspiele St. Margarethen, in Esterhazy, Austria, and he helped prepare Seattle Opera’s Ring cycle in 2013. He has been a guest faculty member for young artist programs at Utah Opera and Seattle Opera, and he is a part-time lecturer in vocal arts and opera at the University of Southern California. (JeremyMFrank.com)

From: Madrid, Spain. LA Opera; Ainadamar (2025, debut).

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

In 1996 Antonio performed as a guest soloist in La Gitana, choreographed by José Antonio Ruiz and Paul Chalmer, with the Ballet del’Arena di Verona under the direction of Carla Fracci.

He joined the prestigious Spanish National Ballet (BNE) in 1997 under the direction of Aurora Pons, Nana Lorca and Victoria Eugenia. Within three years he rose to the category of first dancer when Aída Gómez took over the artistic direction of the company.

Antonio’s passion for creation led him to choreography and he began participating in various editions of the Certamen Coreográfico de Danza Española y Flamenco de Madrid, a competition where he won first prize in the VIII edition.

In 2002 Antonio started his own company, Compania Antonio Najarro, where he created four productions, Tango Flamenco(2002), FlamencOriental (2006), Jazzing Flamenco (2008) and Suite Sevilla (2011) that toured throughout Spain, Europe, Latin America, US and Japan.

Antonio’s talent spread into the sports world where he worked with Olympic and world figure skating champions creating, their competitive and show programs. He created the flamenco program for French ice dancers Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat, bringing them to the top of the Olympic podium at the 2002 Olympic Games when they won the gold medal. He also worked with European and world champion Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland as well as Javier Fernandez, who became the first Spaniard to ever win a world figure skating championship. In 2018 Antonio also collaborated with coach Mayu Fujiki to choreograph for the Spanish National Artistic Swim Team.

Antonio Najarro was named director of the Spanish National Ballet in 2011. To date, he was the youngest director of the Spanish National Ballet. He replicated the classic works of the company including Danza y Tronío by Mairemma, el Bolero by Rafael Aguilar, Ritmos by Alberto Lorca, Medea by Granero and Viva Navarra by Victoria Eugenia, among others. In addition Antonio expanded the company’s repertoire with his new creations including the first production of Ángeles Caídos, reuniting the talent of Rafaela Carrasco, Rocío Molina, Olga Pericet, Javier Latorre, Manuel Liñán y Rubén Olmo. Antonio introduced his own creations to the Spanish National Ballet including Suite Sevilla, Alento, Eterna Iberia, Icaro and Sorolla, inspired by the collection of “Visions of Spain” by the painter Joaquín Sorolla.

Learn more at AntonioNajarro.com.

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.

Ran Arthur Braun has also made a name for himself as a director and set designer: he won the 2014 Music and Theatre Prize for Best Set Design, and he was also voted 2015 Director of the Year for his production of L’enfant et les sortilèges, both in Poland. He has been a member of Dmitri Tcherniakov's production team since 2017.
He teaches stage fighting at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London, the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo in Valencia, the Bolshoi in Moscow, Opera Studio Warsaw , Volksoper Wien and the Opera Studio in Amsterdam.
 
Ran also manages action actors for film, television and stage projects, with recent work provided for Lucas Films, Disney, Amazon Prime, Play Station and Balich Wonder Studio.

He is a winner of the Opernwelt 2022 and 2023 awards for production of the year as a member of the artistic team of Christof Loy and Dmitri Tcherniakov, with whom they also won Best Production in the International Opera Awards in 2024.

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.

Most recently, Boyle directed Don Pasquale for Inland Northwest Opera in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Other credits include associate director of a new production of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci with Shawna Lucey at Lyric Opera of Kansas City, revival director for Michael Shell’s The Barber of Seville at Austin Opera, director for a semi-staged concert version of Tosca for Opera Philadelphia’s outdoor series at the Mann Center in Philadelphia, director of a new production of La Favorite at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, and assistant director of Stephen Barlow’s new production of Don Giovanni at the Santa Fe Opera.

Boyle has also worked with the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists at Central City Opera as a director giving young students the opportunity to explore and develop new roles in opera through a scenes program. Highlight from that summer include Die Fledermaus, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Elixir of Love, Dialogues of the Carmelites and A Little Night Music. Boyle has also worked with young professionals at programs including at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, the Santa Fe Opera, and the Herndon Foundation of Emerging Artists of Virginia Opera.

Previously, Boyle has held associate and assistant director engagements at companies including Opera Philadelphia, the Santa Fe Opera, Cincinnati Opera Association, the Dallas Opera, Central City Opera and Virginia Opera among others.