Meet the people who make it happen at Opera Acadia.
Our Team
Sarah Joyce Cooper, Artistic Director
Co-founder of Opera Acadia, Sarah Joyce Cooper is an award winning soprano known for her “passionate power” (Parterre Box) and “meltingly beautiful” (Opera News) singing. Recent highlights include her debut with Seattle Opera as Minnie Tate in the world premiere of Tazewell Thompson’s Jubilee; soloist appearances at Carnegie Hall in Mozart’s Requiem and Vesperae solennes de confessore; and the title role in James Kallembach’s American Jezebel:The Trial of Anne Hutchinson, a world premiere performance commissioned by Harvard University.
Eric Mahl, Music Director
Co-founder of Opera Acadia, conductor Eric Mahl has solidified his place as one of the most exciting conductors of his generation. Known for his clarity, contagious energy, and passion, he is the Music Director with the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, the Northport Symphony Orchestra, and the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra. In addition, he is the faculty/festival ensemble conductor at the Charles Ives Music Festival and principal guest conductor with the Geneva Light Opera Company.
Zachary Fisher, Chorus Master
Zachary Fisher is a choral conductor, educator, and tenor committed to the promotion of classical music throughout the state of Maine. A specialist in Baroque repertoire, he has appeared as tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, and Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit pour Noël. He will appear this season with the Spoleto Music Festival in Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas and recently served as Chorus Master for Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore with the Bar Harbor Music Festival. He is a member of the voice faculty at the University of Maine, where he instructs the Opera Workshop program.
Alice Blackwood PhD, Chief Development Officer
Alice is a development professional with a deep conviction that arts, culture, and education belong at the heart of our society and should be valued and funded accordingly. Prior to Opera Acadia, Alice led the Annual Fund and Leadership Giving at Heading Home, a non-profit shelter provider and social services agency committed to preventing and ending homelessness in Massachusetts. She also worked in Development for the University of Oxford's Bodleian Library—the second largest library in the UK and one of the oldest libraries in Europe. Before entering fundraising, Alice taught undergraduate History at Oxford and provided historical consulting services within the museums and heritage sector. She is excited to support Opera Acadia's work to bring opera to the local community while honoring Acadia's musical legacy and fairly compensating artists.
Tamra Grace Jones, Advisor
Tamra Grace Jones loves the capacity and range of the human voice. A powerhouse soprano with the goofiness to match, she thrives in introducing new audiences to the classical voice. As an ambitious producer and multi-genre artist, she empowers others to celebrate their own spectrum of vocal creation and finds no greater joy than weaving communities together and walking alongside artists as they experience the power of their own voice. A respected and sought-after soloist, Tamra has earned top prizes at the Vancouver International Music Competition, the Philharmonic Society of Arlington’s Young Artist Competition, the American Spirituals Contest, and the National Association for Teachers of Singing. Operatic credits include Carmen (Carmen), Marguerite (Faust), Siegrüne (Die Walküre), the Witch (Hansel and Gretel), and Ms. Todd (The Old Maid and the Thief). Tamra holds degrees from New England Conservatory and Bob Jones University.