El Imperio de la Luz (2025)

My First Dip into Opera

I was lucky enough to grow up in Bloomington, IN, where the world-renowned Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University put on its opera productions. From seeing Il Barbiere di Siviglia at age 12, I was hooked. The lavish sets and costumes, dramatic plots, and awe-inspiring performers whose voices cut clearly over an orchestra were captivating. Witnessing an art form where emotions could only be expressed musically, I realized just how much we could play with storytelling. I couldn’t help imagining being a part of making those stories someday. It wasn’t until I saw the directors in rehearsal while interning at the Vienna Opera House that I could imagine a specific pathway into opera-making.

My first step on that pathway brought me back to where it all began, in Bloomington. I saw an advertisement for a Fellow position for the Bloomington Opera Camp, a two-week opera program aimed at participants of any artistic level. I was immediately drawn to the program’s focus on bringing down the barriers to access to an art form most have not been exposed to. I signed on as the program's Stage Director and Stage Manager.

It was a position of many firsts. Despite stage management and directing experience, this was the first time I had been on the creative team for something musical. My choral and cello experience kicked in as I developed staging with a score, helping beginner participants in reading music. Working with professionals and beginners alike, I learned to modify instruction, exercises, and critique to different skill levels on my feet.