Jessica is an Austin based opera director. This summer finds her in Virginia, working as a Directing Fellow at Wolftrap Opera. While there, she will be assistant directing “Dialogues of the Carmelites” and “Carmen”.
During the 2022-2025 seasons, she worked at Indianapolis Opera as the Resident Assistant Director, Production Coordinator, and Resident Artists Program Director.
She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Opera Direction from the University of Texas Austin, where she was the department teaching assistant. She also holds a Master of Music in Opera Direction from UT Austin, a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Technical Theatre from West Texas A&M University.
Her Doctoral Recital Paper was titled “Condensed Opera: 45 minute versions of The Barber of Seville and Other Operas to Cultivate Opera Appreciation in Young Students”. In her paper, she looks at current student outreach around the country, and how best to cultivate the next generation of opera goers.
Past directing credits include: Opera: Il barbiere di Siviglia, Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird”, Gallantry, Veteran Journeys, Perfect as a Pony, Monon Town Musicians (Indy Opera), Little Women, At the Statue of Venus, Speed Dating Tonight, Das Lied von der Erde, Four Dialogues (UT Austin), Cendrillon by Aboulker and Pomme d’Api (FAVA France), as well as numerous opera scenes. Plays: Angels in America: Perestroika, Angels in America: The Millennium Approaches, The Laramie Project, Bent (Avenue 10).
Past projection design credits include: Il barbiere di Siviglia, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, Indianapolis Opera 50th Anniversary Gala Concert, Tosca (Indianapolis Opera).
Past costume design credits include: West Side Story (Indianapolis Opera), Metamorphoses, A Christmas Carol, The Who’s Tommy, Aida, The Fantastics (Amarillo Little Theatre), Bent (Avenue 10), Marfa Lights (West Texas A&M University), Nora (Amarillo College).
Upcoming
Assistant Stage Director
Directing Fellow
Dialogues of the Carmelites and Carmen
Summer 2025
Wolf Trap Opera
Stage Director
Pinocchio by John Davies
November 2025
St. Petersburg Opera Company