Lila Palmer Appointed General & Artistic Director of New Orleans Opera • January 2024
New Orleans, Louisiana
Photo by Daniel Welch
Following a comprehensive search, the board of New Orleans Opera Association (NOOA) has announced British and American producer and librettist Lila Palmer as its new General and Artistic Director. Her term begins on May 15, 2024.
Palmer will be NOOA’s ninth chief executive, succeeding Clare Burovac, whose three-year tenure followed 23 seasons of stalwart leadership – including a company-saving effort following Hurricane Katrina – by Robert Lyall, who passed away earlier this year. Palmer will be responsible for setting the artistic vision for the company and overseeing all aspects of operations. In collaboration with the staff and board, Palmer will also seek to broaden the company’s impact, develop business partnerships, and deepen community involvement.
“To be asked to lead a company with the lineage of New Orleans Opera Association is a tremendous gift and a humbling responsibility,” said incoming General and Artistic Director Lila Palmer. “The company and its antecedents formed the cradle of bel canto in America and the city has shown an unbroken legacy of love for both opera and the transformative, life-giving power of music. New Orleans continues to prove itself a resilient, vibrant, and joyful city, and it belongs at the forefront of the newly dawning golden age of American opera.”
Read coverage in Opera Now, Musical America, BBC Music Magazine, OperaWire, ResMusica, Broadway World, Opera World, Spotlight on Lake, Opera My Love Magazine, Biz New Orleans, and New Orleans Magazine.