*07/22/16 PORTopera - Caroline Musica Koelker & Stephen Lord

Posted by Russ Burleigh
 
Caroline Koelker became Managing Director for 'PORTopera' last fall. In this role she is responsible for implementing all aspects of the opera company’s productions, outreach, and fundraising.

Koelker most recently served as event coordinator and development manager for Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, MA, where she earned her Master of Music in Opera Performance. A native of Maine, she earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of Maine in Orono. Koelker is a resident of Westbrook and is a member of The Choral Art Society and Vox Nova.

Board President Ann Elderkin cited Koelker’s in-depth knowledge of opera and fundraising experience as part of the reason for appointing her. “This position requires a great deal of organization, planning, communication and of course, a love of opera. Caroline has all of this, plus energy and enthusiasm.”
 
Stephen Lord has been chosen by Opera News as one of the "25 Most Powerful Names in U.S. Opera" and is continually praised for conducting both traditional and contemporary operatic works. For his debut with San Francisco Opera, conducting Rigoletto, one critic observed, "He partnered his singers perfectly and gave everything its proper weight - he was master of the score's details and the orchestra played superbly for him."

He made his debut with PORTopera conducting Lucia di Lammermoor in 2003, then returned in 2005 for Carmen, 2011 for Daughter of the Regiment, 2014 for Rigoletto and 2015 for Tosca. He will conduct Carmen this upcoming July 27 and 29.

He is currently music director for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and formerly was music director of Boston Lyric Opera. He was recently named artistic director of opera studies at New England Conservatory, overseeing all aspects of the opera training program and conducting one main stage production a year.

In 2015-16 he was re-engaged by English National Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, and a concert for Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. His 2013-14 engagements included the Seoul Arts Center (South Korea), the Canadian Opera Company, a gala concert with the San Francisco Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Santa Fe Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, and the Juilliard School opera program.

Stephen Lord made his New York City Opera debut in 2004. Other career highlights included appearances at Wolf Trap Opera in Vienna, Virginia, the Canadian Opera, Opera Colorado, Michigan Opera Theatre, Florentine Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Pacific, Cleveland Opera and Arizona Opera. He has also been a guest with the Boston Pops.