Opera in Conversation | Inspiration, Process & 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 to foster cross-disciplinary exploration of art, big questions, and community connections.

Join Opera Omaha on Tuesday, October 7 at the Joslyn Castle for our first The Barber of Seville Opera in Conversation.

The first Opera in Conversation features director Stephen Lawless and conductor Gary Thor Wedow as they preview what to expect and what's going on in the rehearsal room.

Admission is FREE, advance registration is requested.

Gary Thor Wedow returns to Opera Omaha after last conducting Don Pasquale. Mr. Wedow has established an enviable reputation for dramatically exciting and historically informed performances with opera companies, orchestras, festivals, and choral organizations throughout North America. During his 24/25 season Mr. Wedow lead Mozart’s masterpiece Le nozze di Figaro with Palm Beach Opera, joined Cincinnati Conservatory of Music for the same composer’s La finta giardiniera, and returned to the Santa Fe Symphony for Handel’s Messiah. In the fall of 2023 he collaborated with Opera Southwest for Carmen, and returned to Des Moines Metro Opera for Il barbiere di Siviglia. The 22/23 season found Maestro Wedow at The Juilliard School to lead their production of Atalanta. A favorite with Seattle Opera audiences, Mr. Wedow has also been a frequent guest of Florida Grand Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Arizona Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Portland Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Utah Opera, Chautauqua Opera, among others.

Stephen Lawless makes his Opera Omaha debut with The Barber of Seville. Born in Warrington Cheshire, UK, Mr. Lawless was Director of Production for Glyndebourne touring opera from 1986-1992 where he directed a production of Britten’s Death in Venice. Subsequently he has worked for most of the world’s leading opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera (Don Giovanni, 2000), the Royal Opera Covent Garden (La Clemenza di Tito, 2002), Glyndebourne Festival (Die Fledermaus, 2003 and 2006), the Bolshoi (Der Rosenkavalier, 2013), and San Francisco (Capriccio, 1992 and Roberto Devereux, 2018). In North America he has also worked for the opera companies in Los Angeles, Dallas, San Diego, Houston, Toronto, Kansas City, San Jose, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, Seattle, and Portland, as well as the Santa Fe, St. Louis, and Glimmerglass festivals. His work has been seen at opera houses in Beijing, Seoul, Glasgow, Strasburg, Graz, Vienna, Berlin, Nuremberg, Magdeburg, Oldenburg, Lubeck, Erfurt, Genoa, Turin, Amsterdam, Ghent, Venice, Madrid, Barcelona, and St. Petersburg, as well as festivals in Innsbruck, Potsdam, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Grange Park, and Buxton.

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