Conductor Daniela Candillari brings her “confidence and apparently inexhaustible verve” (The New York Times) to opera houses and concert stages throughout North America and internationally. She is renowned for guiding groundbreaking world premieres to the stage “with a sure hand” (The New York Times) as well as her “incisive leadership” (Wall Street Journal) of classical music’s most frequently performed masterpieces.

Candillari’s exciting 2024-2025 season of orchestra and opera engagements includes two world premieres in St. Louis, where she enters her fourth season as Principal Conductor at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. In celebration of their 50th anniversary season, she conducts the company’s 44th world premiere, This House, with music by Ricky Ian Gordon and libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage and her daughter, Ruby Aiyo Gerber. Earlier in the year, she leads the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of Nina Shekhar’s Accordion Concerto, an SLSO commission, featuring accordionist Hanzhi Wang, on a program with Samuel Barber’s School for Scandal overture and Antonín Dvořák’s “New World” symphony.

As a composer, Candillari has been commissioned by established artists including instrumentalists from the Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, and Pittsburgh Symphonies, as well as the three resident orchestras of Lincoln Center: the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the New York City Ballet. An avid educator, she is deeply involved with Music Academy’s programming for young artists, and has recently participated in master classes and discussions at DePaul University, Chicago Humanities Festival, and Valissima Institute.

Candillari grew up in Serbia and Slovenia. She holds a Doctorate from the Universität für Musik in Vienna; a MM from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; and a MM and Bachelor’s degree from the Universität für Musik in Graz.

Cameron Anderson is an internationally acclaimed scenic and projection designer and has designed extensively at the world's leading theatre and opera companies.  Recent projects include popstar Charlie Puth's North American and international tours, and the world premiere opera RUR: A Torrent of Light (Tapestry Opera, Toronto), which won the Best New Opera in North America award (MCANA). Other recent highlights include West Side Story (Kilden Performing Arts Center, Norway, Vancouver Opera), and Simon Boccanegra (Teatro Colon, Argentina), Byhalia Mississippi (The Kennedy Center), The Niceties (Manhattan Theatre Club), Yerma, Becoming Cuba, and Sweat (Huntington Theater), Fille du Regiment, The Consul, Vinkensport, The Merry Widow, and Rocking Horse Winner (Opera Saratoga), and Photograph 51 (South Coast Repertory). Select opera credits include Glimmerglass Festival, San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Central City Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Gotham Chamber Opera, and On Site Opera. Select Off-Broadway credits include Roundabout Theatre Company, Playwrights' Horizons, New Georges, LAByrinth Theater Company, Naked Angels, Ars Nova, and Brooklyn Academy of Music. Upcoming projects include Leonora at Chicago Opera Theater and Les Mamelles de Tirésias and Seven Deadly Sins for The Curtis Institute. cameronanderson.net

Elena Flores (she/her) is a Los Angeles-based costume designer & maker for theatre, TV, and film. She is a proud union member of Costume Designer’s Guild 892 and Motion Picture Costumers 705, as well as an ensemble member of Echo Theatre Company and Rogue Artists Ensemble. Elena has been exhibited as an "Emerging Artist" representing the United States at Prague Quadrennial 2019 and is an Ovation Award nominee in Costume Design. Recent designs include Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (Center Theatre Group), Cherubin (USC Thornton School of Music), The Bottoming Process (IAMA Theatre), Righteous Thieves (feature film), 1660 Vine (feature film), and she recently completed five months working as a specialty costumer on the upcoming feature RED ONE featuring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Chris Evans. Social Media @elenafloresdesign

David Martin Jacques makes his Music Academy debut as lighting designer for “Carmen”. David has designed productions for numerous theatrical, opera, and dance companies worldwide.  These include productions at The Royal Opera House; English National Opera; La Scala; Teatro La Fenice; Lyric Opera of Chicago; New National Theatre of Tokyo; Los Angeles Philharmonic; The Mariinsky Theatre; Teatro dell’Opera Roma; Teatro San Carlo; Brooklyn Academy of Music, Welsh National Opera; Canadian Opera Company; Norwegian National Opera; Opera Hong Kong; Chicago Opera Theatre; Central City Opera; Long Beach Opera; Maggio Musicale Firenza; Teatro Lirico di Cagliari; Florida Grand Opera; Teatro Perez Galdos Las Palmas; Chautauqua Opera; and Vancouver Opera.

David is designing the lighting for Tristan und Isolde at the San Francisco Opera in October of 2024. He serves as Professor Emeritus at California State University Long Beach. His book, Introduction to the Musical Art of Stage Lighting Design, is being used as the primary lighting textbook at numerous universities.