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NEWS: Opera America Hall of Fame Inductees Include Minnesota Connections

by Twin Cities Arts Reader -

When Opera America inducts its 2025 class into the Opera Hall of Fame next month, Minnesotan opera fans will see more than a few familiar faces. Several of the nine artists, administrators, and philanthropists being recognized have worked closely with Minnesota Opera, with roots stretching back decades.

The honorees – baritone Donnie Ray Albert, librettist Mark Campbell, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, arts administrator Christopher Hahn, philanthropists Susan F. Morris and William C. Morris, philanthropists Bernard Osherand Barbro Osher, and stage director Francesca Zambello – will be formally inducted during the organization’s annual OPERA America Salutes gala on March 20, 2026, at The Plaza Hotel in New York.

The Opera Hall of Fame, created in 2020 during Opera America’s 50th anniversary, honors Americans and Canadians whose careers have significantly shaped opera as performers, creators, leaders and advocates.

Pulitzer Prize–winning librettist Mark Campbell has had a particularly strong relationship with Minnesota Opera’s New Works Initiative. The company premiered Silent Night (written with composer Kevin Puts) in 2011 and The Shining (written with composer Paul Moravec) in 2016. His adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel has become one of the most widely performed new American operas of the past decade.

Internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves also has deep Minnesota roots. In 1991 – early in her career – she sang the role of Carmen with Minnesota Opera. That launch pad helped propel her to internationally renown stages, including the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden and Vienna State Opera.

Graves has remained connected to the company throughout her career. In more recent years, she returned to Minnesota not only as a performer – for example, in Doubt (2013) – but also as a stage director with Carmen (2022).

Baritone Donnie Ray Albert, known for his commanding performances in Verdi roles, has graced Minnesota stages many times during his career spanning more than five decades, including with the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

The class also includes prominent leaders whose work has shaped the broader American opera landscape.

Arts administrator Christopher Hahn, general director of Pittsburgh Opera since 2008, has focused on developing young artists and expanding contemporary repertory. His career has involved collaborations with opera companies across the country, including institutions in the Midwest.

Director Francesca Zambello, artistic director of Washington National Opera, is one of the most visible stage directors in opera today. Known for productions at major companies worldwide, she has championed new American works and initiatives that broaden access to opera.

Two philanthropic couples in the class – Susan and William Morris and Bernard and Barbro Osher – are being recognized for decades of support for opera companies, training programs and arts education throughout North America.

The inductees will join a growing roster honored at OPERA America’s National Opera Center in New York. Their formal induction will take place at the organization’s annual gala next spring, an event that brings together artists, administrators and supporters from across the opera world. Proceeds from the event help fund OPERA America’s leadership and mentorship programs, which train the next generation of opera administrators and creators.

For Minnesota’s opera community, the recognition highlights the role the state’s companies and audiences have played in shaping national careers — and the continuing influence of Minnesota Opera as a launchpad for new works and major artists.

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