Photo by Daniel Welch

Lila Palmer Appointed General and Artistic Director of New Orleans Opera

NEW ORLEANS, LA (January 17, 2024) – Following a comprehensive search, the board of New Orleans Opera Association (NOOA) has announced British-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.

Palmer joins NOOA from New York’s American Lyric Theater, a highly regarded new music incubator, where she has served as Interim Managing Director and Associate Director for Promotions and Partnerships. An accomplished producer, Palmer has also led arts programming in heritage spaces, including The Museum of London, The London Transport Museum, Trebah Gardens, and the Bethlem Gallery and Trust, building relationships with varied stakeholders across fields. Palmer’s earlier experience as a lyric mezzo-soprano and cultural commentator for radio and television, combined with her education at Cambridge University and the Royal Opera House London’s Guildhall Opera Makers MA program, have led to her firm commitment to expand the perspectives of stories on opera stages.

As a librettist, Palmer has been recognized with an Edinburgh Fringe Lustrum Award, Aix-en-Provence Festival Women in Opera Professional Artist nomination, and Album of the Year by The Times of London. Her work has recently been performed at the Gran Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and Glimmerglass Festival, and her song cycle This Be Her Verse received international premieres in Canada, Scotland, Switzerland, and France. Palmer will continue her creative practice as a librettist, and has upcoming artistic collaborations with Mark Adamo, Rene Orth, and La Fura dels Baus.

Download and read the full release here.

Press Contacts:
New Orleans Opera Association
Mariah Forde
mforde@neworleansopera.org

Lila Palmer
Beth Stewart, Verismo PR
beth@verismopr.com