Pronouns:
she/her
How did you get involved with the opera?
My path to Portland Opera started long before I arrived here. I played violin in middle school, later switched to viola, and followed that passion through a high school diploma with a concentration in viola from the North Carolina School of the Arts (now the University of North Carolina School of the Arts), a Bachelor of Music at Eastman School of Music, and a Master of Music Education at Winthrop University. I went on to teach middle school and high school orchestra in Charlotte, North Carolina, so music has always been central to my life. When I moved to Portland, I became a Portland Opera subscriber and never stopped attending. Getting to know the staff at events, and seeing how genuinely they love this company and the people it serves, was part of what moved me to say yes when I was asked to join the board, along with my hope to see Portland Opera thrive for generations to come.
What are you most looking forward to?
What I love most about opera is exactly what has always made it special: the grand, sweeping stories, the glorious voices, and the sets and costumes that transport you somewhere else entirely. That is the heart of Portland Opera, and I want to help carry it forward. What excites me is thinking about how we can build on that foundation, bringing in new works and new artists alongside the timeless productions our community treasures, so there is even more for everyone to love. Tradition and discovery are not opposites. The classics that move us today were once new too, and I want Portland Opera to hold both with equal care.
What would you like our audience to know?
I am on this board because I believe, deeply, in what opera can do for a person. For a few hours, you get to set everything down, the noise, the worry, the day-to-day, and just be somewhere else, surrounded by beautiful music, breathtaking scenery, and costumes that feel like magic. You walk out with your imagination a little wider, feeling regenerated and uplifted, and that means everything to me. It is why I am so committed to Portland Opera's continued success, and why I intend to help make sure it has a long future ahead of it.
