Opera in Conversation | Inspiration, Process, and Insights

Opera in Conversation is a series of three sessions surrounding Opera Omaha mainstage productions that features creatives, scholars, and other public figures.

These FREE events exist with a hope to foster cross-disciplinary exploration of art, big questions, and community connections. Discussions will explore creating Puccini’s one-act opera, womens' agency, and how this story connects to our now.

Join Opera Omaha on Tuesday, February 7 at the Benson Theatre for our first Suor Angelica Opera in Conversation.

This Opera in Conversation will explore the Creative Inspiration, Process, and Insights for Opera Omaha's production of Suor Angelica. Featuring conductor Judith Yan and director, Keturah Stickann.

Admission is FREE, advance registration is requested.

Speaker Information

Conductor Judith Yan makes her Opera Omaha debut in Suor Angelica. Equally adept at conducting symphony, opera, and ballet, Judith Yan has held Staff Conductor positions at San Francisco Opera, Canadian Opera Company, and National Ballet of Canada. Ms. Yan’s Recent performances include 3 critically-acclaimed world-premieres: Perla’s An American Dream for Seattle Opera, Estacio’s Ours for Opera on the Avalon, and Pastor’s Dracula for West Australian Ballet, debuts conducting La Bohéme with Vancouver Opera, Orfeo with Kentucky Opera, Sleeping Beauty with National Arts Centre, Cranko’s Taming of the Shrew with Teatr Wielki; and productions of La Bayadère with West Australian Ballet, Don Quixote with Hong Kong Ballet, and Swan Lake with Korean National Ballet. Her 2022/23 season includes Heggie's Three Decembers with Opera on the Avalon, Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia with San Francisco Opera, Madama Butterfly with New Orleans Opera, 3 programmes with Saskatoon Symphony (Gipps, Forsyth, and Hatzis; De Falla and Ravel; Copland and Wagner), and the world-premiere of Laura Kaminsky and Lisa Moore’s opera, February, for Opera on the Avalon.

Born and raised in the Midwest, Keturah Stickann has had a career as a classical and contemporary dancer, performing extensively in opera. Subsequently her work as a stage director has been seen in many opera houses across the United States and Canada, as well as in Chile, Japan, France, Germany, Hungary, and Australia. A champion of new American opera, she has worked extensively with director and librettist, Leonard Foglia, and has helped to bring new operas to the stage by Ricky Ian Gordon, Jennifer Higdon, and Jake Heggie & Gene Scheer among others. In a creative solution for the Covid era, some of her more recent productions include the drive-in versions of La Bohème and The Barber of Seville for San Diego Opera. Recent and future productions include Salome at Madison Opera, Don Giovanni at Minnesota Opera and Intimate Apparel at Chautauqua. Ms. Stickann is an Artistic Advisor at Knoxville Opera.

A livestream of this event can also be found on the Opera Omaha YouTube Channel.

Media Notification: Photography and Video will be captured at this event. By attending, you agree to allow Opera Omaha to use your image in social, archival, and promotional materials.