Saturday, February 28, 2026 – 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wellshire Presbyterian Church, 2999 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO
FACILITATOR: Vera Lúcia Calábria

Ever wondered how an aria goes from ‘great’ to ‘goosebumps’? Come see the magic happen live at the Louise C. Conter Master Class — free, fabulous, and full of high notes!

Step inside the rehearsal room and witness the artistry behind the aria. The Louise C. Conter Master Class offers a rare opportunity to watch some of Colorado’s most promising young opera singers work one-on-one with a distinguished guest clinician. Through live coaching, technical insights, and interpretive guidance, singers refine their craft before an audience, offering a fascinating glimpse into the process of transforming talent into true operatic excellence.

This inspiring day of music and mentorship is free and open to the public. Whether you’re a devoted opera lover or simply curious about the art form, you’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for the skill, dedication, and passion that bring opera to life.

2026 LOUISE C. CONTER MASTER CLASS FACILITATOR
Vera Lúcia Calábria

Denver Lyric Opera Guild is thrilled to announce that the 2026 Louise C. Conter Master Class will be taught by world-renowned stage director, dramatic coach, and arts administrator Vera Calabria.

VERA LÚCIA CALÁBRIA has over 40 years of experience in opera and classical music. Born in Brazil, she began at the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, followed by San Francisco Opera as assistant to Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. Productions directed for San Francisco Opera include Carmen, Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci, La forza del Destino, Der fliegende Holländer, and Falstaff. Other credits include Madama Butterfly in Strasbourg and Cologne; Manon in Vienna, Munich, and at the Metropolitan Opera; Parsifal in Barcelona; Falstaff in Chicago; Tosca in Montpellier; Tannhäuser in Honolulu; Carmen in Zurich, Cologne, Chicago, and Tel Aviv;  Der fliegende Holländer, Idomeneo, and Aida at Los Angeles Opera; The Queen of Spades at the Teatro Real, Madrid; Il Barbiere di Siviglia at Opera Indianapolis; Der Rosenkavalier at Israeli Opera; and Roméo et Juliette at Utah Opera.

She now divides her time between stage productions and work with young singers as director and dramatic coach. Productions include La Finta Giardinera and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges/L’Heure Espagnole at UCLA; Il Barbiere di Siviglia at San Francisco Opera Center; La Canterina, Gigantes y Cabezudos, The Pirates of Penzance, The Magic Flute, and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges at CSULA; L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni at CSUF; Bluebeard’s Castle / L’Heure Espagnole, The Bear / La Navarraise, and The Rape of Lucretia at Yale University, Le Nozze di Figaro at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, and all three of Mozart’s da Ponte Operas at Rice University.

In addition to her work as stage director, she has conducted master classes and workshops on Commedia dell’Arte in opera at CSULA, UC Santa Barbara, and UCLA among others.  She was also a member of the CSU Fullerton faculty for 5 years, teaching Performance Technique and directing. Her work as dramatic coach on role interpretation took her to Israeli Opera and the Staatsoper Berlin’s Young Artist Program, to Pepperdine University’s Songfest, the Wagner Theatre Program in New York, to LA Opera’s Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program, and the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindeman Young Artist Development Program. In 2014 she started working with a private studio focused on High School age singers, and these students have begun to excel in competitions.

Vera Lúcia Calábria has collaborated on several video productions with Brian Large (II Trittico, Andrea Chenier and Nabucco from Milan’s La Scala; Der fliegende Holländer from Bayreuth, Lear from Munich), and Derek Bailey (Aida and Madama Butterfly from La Scala).