ROBERT AINSLEY

Artistic & General Director

Ainsley began his tenure as Artistic and General Director of The Glimmerglass Festival in September 2022. Demonstrating his commitment to new works, Ainsley launched Project Pipeline, an initiative that brings a new opera to life every season, either through a youth opera or a mainstage commission. In 2024, he made his orchestral debut in Glimmerglass’ production of La Calisto with his 2013 realization of the score. 

He served as the Director of the Washington National Opera’s Cafritz Resident Artists Program and the American Opera Initiative, seeking and training the finest young American singers, composers, and librettists for international careers. Artists he has worked with have performed on the world’s leading stages, won the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, been finalists in Operalia, and performed with him at the 2018 White House State Dinner for the President of France. In 2020, he was featured in recital with world-famous soprano Renée Fleming for the Metropolitan Opera’s “Met Stars Live in Concert” series.

He is an alumnus of the University of Cambridge, Mannes College of Music, and the Lindemann Resident Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera. Since then, he has been Co-founder and Principal Conductor of the Greenwich Music Festival, a guest Chorus Master at English National Opera, Associate Music Director at Portland Opera, Head of Music Staff and Chorus Master at Minnesota Opera and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and a faculty member at Westminster Choir College’s CoOPERAtive Program.

He has collaborated on a string of world premieres, raved about art song in recital series of his own creation, and lectured on everything from Adams to Zemlinsky. Through it all, he has worked to inspire hundreds of young artists and thousands of audience members to share his passion.

Check out his Glimmerglass blog: Rob’s Ramblings

Joseph Colaneri

Music Director

Joseph Colaneri is a renowned conductor celebrated for his versatility, musical depth, and ability to “inspire musicians.” As an international conductor, he excels in operatic, oratorio, and symphonic repertoire, continually expanding his relationships with orchestras and opera companies both nationally and internationally. Since 2013, he has served as Music Director for Glimmerglass, where he has led a diverse array of works including The Cunning Little Vixen, Donizetti’s L’assedio di Calais, Candide, and The Ghosts of Versailles, alongside timeless classics such as La Traviata, Carmen, La bohème, and Il barbiere di Siviglia.

For Joseph Colaneri’s complete biography, click here.

Eric Owens

Artistic Advisor

Known for his roles of both classic works and new music, Owens’ international career has brought him to major opera houses around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera and LA Opera to Royal Opera Covent Garden, English National Opera and more.

Owens made his Glimmerglass debut in the 2001 production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia. Subsequent Glimmerglass roles include Stephen Kumalo in Lost in the Stars, Amonasro in Aida and the title role of Macbeth. He served as the company’s 2012 and 2015 Artist in Residence, coaching and mentoring members of the Resident Artists Program, the company’s apprenticeship for rising artists. Owens also serves as Chair of the company’s Artistic Advisory Board.

In addition to his busy performance schedule, Owens has worked with young artists at the Merola Opera Program and Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Resident Artist Program.  He also serves as a community ambassador at Lyric Opera of Chicago and on the Board of Trustees of both The Crossing Choir in Philadelphia and the Curtis Institute of Music. He was also recently announced as a visiting artist at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, where he has been coaching voice students and leading master classes during the year.

A native of Philadelphia, Mr. Owens began his musical training as a pianist at the age of 6, followed by formal oboe study at age 11 under Lloyd Shorter of the Delaware Symphony and Louis Rosenblatt of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He studied voice while an undergraduate at Temple University, and then as a graduate student at the Curtis Institute of Music. Owens was recently honored with Musical America’s 2017 “Vocalist of the Year” award and has been the recipient of many more, including the Marian Anderson Award, ARIA award, second prize in the Plácido Domingo Operalia Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions finalist, and the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition.

For his complete biography, click here.

Staff

During regular working hours, you may reach the staff members listed below by dialing (607) 547-0700 and then the extension number. Generally, staff e-mail addresses consist of the first initial of a person’s first name followed by full last name @glimmerglass.org. For example, John Smith is jsmith@glimmerglass.org. If you e-mail info@glimmerglass.org, your message will be forwarded to the appropriate party.

Staff Listing

The Glimmerglass Festival Orchestra

VIOLIN
Ruotao Mao Concertmaster
Lijia Phang Associate Concertmaster
Mialtin Zhezha Assistant Concertmaster
Jeremiah Blacklow Principal Second
Ann-Marie B. Schwartz
Jeremiah Blacklow
Michael Cleveland
Benjamin Hart
Fritz V. Krakowski
Esther McMahon
Sasha Margolis
Leona Nadj
Lijia Phang
Ann-Marie B. Schwartz
Elizabeth Silver
Victoria Stewart
Ubaldo Valli
Raymond Zoeckler

VIOLA
Katrina Smith Principal
Megan Newman Dyer
Dee Dee Fancher
Christine Ims
Megan Newman Dyer
Christine Orio
Sandra VandeGeijn

TRUMPET
Jerry Bryant Principal
Ben Aldridge

TROMBONE
Gregory Spiridopoulos Principal
Guangwei Fan
Frank Meredith Bass Trombone

TUBA
David Saltzman Principal

TIMPANI
Matthew Kibort Principal

PERCUSSION
Matthew McClung Principal
Jeff Grubbs

HARP
André Tarantiles Principal

LUTE / GUITAR
Michael Leopold Principal