Opera San José Introduces Its Resident Artists for 2020–2021

Paul Kotapish on August 25, 2020
Khori Dastoor | Credit: Chris Hardy

Opera San José General Director Khori Dastoor has announced the company’s 2020–2021 resident artists. Participants in the unique program are provided housing, professional development training, and a range of performance opportunities designed to hone their skills over the course of an entire year.

This year’s resident artists are: Eugene Brancoveanu (baritone), Ashley Dixon (mezzo-soprano), Maya Kherani (soprano), Christopher James Ray (resident conductor), Carlos Enrique Santelli (tenor), Efraín Solís (baritone), and Nathan Stark (bass-baritone).

The Resident Artist Showcase (Sunday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. Pacific) will introduce this select cohort to the public via a livestreamed broadcast featuring performances by the incoming artists. For more information and a link to RSVP to the event, visit www.operasj.org.

“Opera San José’s mission has always been the development and support of emerging artists,” said Dastoor. “During this ongoing health and economic crisis, Opera San José’s mandate must be the continued support of these artists — to serve as a lifeline, to preserve their immense artistry, and to keep producing art through any and all mediums available to us in this time apart from one another.”

Conductor/pianist Christopher James Ray and baritone Eugene Brancoveanu are Opera San José Resident Artists

Members of the resident ensemble will perform in digital concerts, recitals, and in-conversation and meet-the-artists events, in addition to the full-scale, mainstage operas scheduled for Opera San José’s 2021 season. “Our artists will, in fact, have more opportunities to perform than ever before,” adds Dastoor. “And with our new Fred Heiman Digital Media Studio, we’re able to share their tremendous talents with audiences across the globe.”