LBO STUDIO
A creative incubator
LBO Studio is our new company wing focused on advancing operatic commissions, building partnerships in film and television, and cultivating world premieres—all while seeking future projects and fresh talent. Here, you’ll get a first look at the exciting projects taking shape at LBO, and the innovative artists bringing them to life.
WORKS IN PROCESS
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The Passion of Nell
A new LBO-commissioned opera inspired by the tragic true story of model Nell Theobald and her obsession with soprano Birgit Nilsson, with music by Shelley Washington and a libretto by Lisa Teasley. A workshop with Opera UCLA is planned for early 2027.
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The Nubian Word for Flowers (FILM)
Continuing LBO’s exploration of Pauline Oliveros’s legacy, this work-in-progress recording of her landmark opera features newly recorded narration by IONE.
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Svadba
Ana Sokolović’s acclaimed a cappella opera for six voices, reimagining the ancient rituals of a wedding night as a vibrant communal act of song, directed by Anderson Nunnelley.
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BERIO: FRAGMENTS
An in-development project built from incomplete and rarely heard works by Luciano Berio, tracing a soprano’s unraveling at a recital no one attends. Directed by James Darrah and music directed by Christopher Rountree, the work unfolds as an immersive, multidisciplinary experience anchored by Berio’s Recital 1 (for Cathy)—a tour-de-force operatic descent into mania written for his wife.
STUDIO CREATORS
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TIFFANY TOWNSEND
You may recognize Townsend from her breakout turn as Idleness in LBO’s 2023 premiere of Kate Soper’s The Romance of the Rose. This season, she presents Crash Out Queens —a recital she co-created with LBO that explores her artistic voice and interest in operatic women at the edge of their breaking points.
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Shelley Washington
Washington’s earlier work with LBO includes composing for desert in (2021) and crafting new orchestrations for Giustino (2022). She now expands that partnership with the development of her full-length opera, The Passion of Nell.
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PRAIRIE T. TRIVUTH
Trivuth led the production design for all works in LBO’s 2024–25 ALL OLIVEROS season. This year, she continues her partnership with our company as the scenic designer for Crash Out Queens.
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Anderson Nunnelley
Nunnelley’s work with LBO includes serving as Associate Creative Producer for the 2024–25 ALL OLIVEROS season and associate directing El Relicario de los Animales (2025). He returns this season to direct Svadba as it enters development.
STUDIO PARTNERs
Martha Graham
Dance CompaNY
Utilizing Martha Graham’s own body of choreography, fragments of unfinished pieces from their archives, and the Martha Graham Dance Company’s ongoing foray into diverse, new choreography, this partnership will explore new work and create new productions for LBO, both in the LA area and for venues on tour. James Darrah and Christopher Rountree will work with Janet Eilber, the Graham Company’s artistic director, and their superb roster of dancers and guest choreographers to craft a three-year partnership between the two companies that explores a deeper connection between dance and opera.