Bio
Elliot Menard is an opera-maker (a vocal performer, composer, producer, and grant writer). She is dedicated to bringing new opera-theater to life and exploring opera’s many forms.
As a classically-trained mezzo-soprano, she performs vocal repertoire across all eras (from pre-baroque to contemporary), including operatic repertoire, art songs, Jewish cantorial music, jazz, improvisation, and extended techniques. She has recently performed in CalArts’ production of HERE BE SIRENS (Kate Soper) as Polyxo, New Opera Days Ostrava’s premiere of Partial Memories (Judith Berkson), and Renegade Opera’s live premiere of Adam’s Run (Ruby Fulton).
As a composer, she explores how text allows music to emerge and the expressive range of the voice. Her compositions have been programmed at the California Institute of the Arts, the N.E.O. Voice Festival, Open Gate Theater, and Renegade Opera. She is currently developing ORPHEUS/OVID, an opera that explores our dreams with lost loved ones through Ovid’s poetry on the Orpheus myth. Her academic background in vocal performance and ancient literature brings a deep knowledge of the voice and unique perspective on Latin poetry to her compositions.
Her producorial practice centers on supporting emerging artists and living composers. She is a Co-Founder of Renegade Opera, a Portland-based company dedicated to creating immersive and accessible opera and promoting institutional reform in the opera industry.
As a grant writer, she redistributes wealth to increase access in the arts for audiences and artists. She is the Grants Coordinator for Urban Voices Project and also writes grants for the Resonance Collective, Renegade Opera, and independent artist projects.
She holds an M.F.A. in Voice Arts from the California Institute of the Arts and a B.A. in Classics from Reed College. Originally from Brooklyn, NY and currently based in Los Angeles, CA (with 5 years in Portland, OR in between), she works in all three cities.