About
Opéra Louisiane was founded by Robert Grayson and Amanda Martin Vincent in March of 2007 with a few simple goals in mind: to produce opera performances of the highest level in Louisiana’s capital city, to offer a Young People’s opera free to school children every year, to utilize the great musical and artistic talent of Louisiana singers alongside professional musicians with international acclaim. Shortly after its inception, Opéra Louisiane and LPB produced the Opéra Louisiane Gala concert featuring international opera stars at the Baton Rouge River Center. In the fall of 2008 Opéra Louisiane, through a generous grant from Mayor Kip Holden and the City Parish of East Baton Rouge and other significant sponsors including the Pennington Foundation, The Arts Council of Baton Rouge and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, produced its first Young People’s Opera, Mozart’s The Magic Flute. These productions remain successful, allowing over 37,000 Baton Rouge area 4th , 5th and 6th graders to see a fully staged opera over the past seven years. Opéra Louisiane, through its Young People’s Opera Program and outreach events, endeavors to help fulfill the need for music programs in schools that have been cut due to budget constraints. Along with our focus on education, Opéra Louisiane strives to offer performances of the highest quality featuring professional artists from Louisiana and beyond. In 2013, Opéra Louisiane offered a full production of Elixir of Love at the Baton Rouge River Center, complete with an international cast of singers, Opéra Lousiane’s Community Chorus, a full orchestra, grand sets and colorful costumes. The performance of Elixir marked the first time in over a decade that Baton Rouge has seen a professional opera production of this magnitude in our own city. In 2015, grand opera returned to Baton Rouge with Madama Butterfly at the Baton Rouge River Center Theatre. In 2019, Opéra Louisiane presented two sold out performances of Carmen at the Manship Theater at Shaw Center for the Arts and instituted the High School Opera Initiative, aimed at providing access to opera to students from economically disadvantaged communities. The Lunch with Leanne series, established in 2013, gives audience members the opportunity to experience a concert in an intimate setting and meet the artist afterwards. Opéra Louisiane presents two major fundraisers each year, the Opéra Summer Soirée in August and Sing and Swing, a celebrity karaoke competition. Over the past twelve years, Opéra Louisiane has hired over 320 local musicians, provided work for more than 100 Louisiana theater professionals, brought 36 opera stars with international reputations to Baton Rouge, and sold over 25,000 tickets. As the Capital City’s Opera Company Opéra Louisiane is educating, entertaining and employing. Since 2011, Opéra Louisiane’s budget has quadrupled and the company remains a debt free organization.
Meet Our Team
Paul Groves
General Director
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Michael Borowitz
Artistic Director
Conductor and pianist Michael Borowitz has served as Music Director for Opéra Louisiane since the 2012-13 season.
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Read his full bio here.
Shannon LaBiche
Operations Manager
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Larry Heard
Education Director
Emma Discher
Social Media &
Email Marketing
Value Statement
Opéra Louisiane holds itself accountable to the highest standards of integrity, quality, and professionalism.
Our Mission
Opéra Louisiane presents high quality, professional operatic performances, showcasing internationally acclaimed talent for:
Culturally enriching our community
Educating our school children
Providing professional performance opportunities for Louisiana artists.
Our Vision
Opéra Louisiane will be a regionally recognized, financially viable, professional opera company showcasing internationally acclaimed talent and providing career opportunities for Louisiana artists.
Board of Directors
David Kelly – Immediate Past Chair – Attorney, Partner, Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, LLP
John Jackson – Chair – Jackson Land Company
Kathy Baker – Chair Elect – Assistant to the Executive Vice President, Executive Hotel Management
Dr. George Losonsky - Treasurer and Finance Chair - President of Losonsky & Associates, Inc.
Dr. Bill Gallmann – Secretary – MD, Radiologist, ret.
Marie Constantin- Development Chair - Photographer
L John Haile – Marketing Chair – Former editor, Orlando SentinelDr.
Evelyn K. Hayes, MD – Governance Chair – Baton Rouge General, ret.
Dr. Lacey Adkins – Co-Education Chair- MD, Laryngologist, LSUHSC-New Orleans/Our Lady of the Lake
Kim Kochurka Shaw – Education Chair
Carolyn Bennett – Foundation for Historical Louisiana, emerita
Dr. Warren Fraser – Endocrinologist and endocrine consultant
Don Hill – Licensed agent, Burns & Co., Inc. REALTORS
Jim Jackson – Jackson Land Company
Dr. Darlyne G. Nemeth, PhD, MP – Clinical, Medical, & Neuropsychologist,
The Neuropsychology Center of Louisiana, LLC
Sean Matassa – Financial Advisor; Edward Jones
Sallie Williams - Legal Writer - Seyfarth Shaw, LLP
Gary Jupiter - Hotel Management
Nicholas Antoon - Arts Ambassador
Aundra Shields - Education Consultant
Dusty Manson
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