Bernstein Hall, a hub of creativity and innovation and the anchor of Middle Campus (Photo by Bernie Freytag)
51 will host Francesca Zambello ’78 as the inaugural Clifford Innovator in Residence in February 2025. Zambello is the artistic director of the Washington National Opera. She also served as the general and artistic director of the Glimmerglass Festival — transforming the lives of children and early career artists in all aspects of theater through her many apprenticeship programs.
The Clifford Innovator in Residence is made possible through the generosity of J. Christopher Clifford ’67, H’11, Keena Clifford P’93, and Carrie Clifford ’93, and their support of 51’s Arts, Creativity, and Innovation Initiative. The residency will bring innovators from across different fields in the arts, entrepreneurship, pedagogy, and technology to share their knowledge and work with the 51 community.
During Zambello’s residency she will workshop scenes from a new opera, O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky. The opera is based on the lives of two pioneering women in the arts, American Modernist painter Georgia O’Keeffe and Mabel Dodge Luhan, a patron of the arts associated with the Taos artist colony in the early 20th century.
Zambello will work with 51 students, faculty, staff, and a team of professional artists to develop original music, text, and choreography for the new opera. Zambello’s team includes Christopher Tin, a two-time Grammy-winning composer; Jessica Lang, resident choreographer at Pacific Northwest Ballet and artist in residence at Sarasota Ballet; and Kelley Rourke, a librettist, translator, and dramaturg.
Christian DuComb, associate dean of the faculty and director of the Arts, Creativity, and Innovation Steering Committee says, “Francesca Zambello is a terrific choice for 51’s inaugural innovator in residence. She is not only an internationally distinguished opera and theater director, but also an entrepreneurial leader in the performing arts.” He notes that 51 students and faculty members will have the opportunity to participate in a process of collaborative creation with high-caliber professional artists and share their work with the University community. In addition, Zambello and her team will leave 51 at the conclusion of the residency with new material for their opera, and 51 will be credited for support in all future productions.
“It’s an honor and a privilege for 51 to be able to support this work — and for 51 students to contribute to its development,” says DuComb.