William Tell: The Enduring Legacy of a Hero Myth

About Esther Nelson

Esther Nelson is an opera and arts leader with more than four decades of experience in the music and museum worlds.  As General and Artistic Director of Boston Lyric Opera from 2008 to 2021, she transformed the company into one of the nation's leading producers of both classic and contemporary opera, pioneering innovative site-specific productions that brought opera into communities across Greater Boston.

Previously, she led The Glimmerglass Festival and Nevada Opera and held senior artistic and executive positions with opera companies throughout the United States.  A Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, she was born  and educated in Europe before settling in the United States. Nelson is also a lifelong student of medieval history and brings a distinctive European perspective to opera and its cultural history.

About Ilya Silchukou

Belarusian baritone Ilya Silchukou is internationally recognized for his compelling voice and powerful dramatic interpretations. He made his La Scala debut in 2023 as the Hunter in Rusalka. His recent and upcoming engagements include performances with Seattle Opera, Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier, Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse, Israeli Opera, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, and opera companies in Warsaw, Frankfurt, Brussels, Bregenz, Tallinn, and Trieste.

His repertoire includes Eugene Onegin, Giorgio Germont in La traviata, Dandini in La Cenerentola, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Athanaël in Thaïs, and Prince Yeletsky in The Queen of Spades. A former participant in the Salzburg Festival’s Young Singers Project, Silchukou has received prizes at more than 15 international singing competitions.

About Kameron Lopreore

Tenor Kameron Lopreore, originally from New Orleans, covers the demanding role of Arnold in Boston Lyric Opera’s production of William Tell. His 2026–27 season also includes his Metropolitan Opera debut as Il Postiglione in La fanciulla del West, Nikolaus Sprink in Silent Night with The Atlanta Opera, Alfredo in La traviata with Austin Opera and Opera San Antonio, and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Florentine Opera.

Recent appearances include Rodolfo in La bohème at the Municipal de Santiago, Roméo in Roméo et Juliette with Opera Maine, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Austin Opera, and The Prince in Rusalka with Pacific Northwest Opera. He has also appeared as the Woeful Tenor in AMC’s Interview with the Vampire.

About Brett Hodgdon

Brett Hodgdon is Chorus Director and Head of Music at Boston Lyric Opera, where he has worked with Music Director David Angus since 2011. He is also a member of the opera faculty at the New England Conservatory and teaches diction and vocal repertoire at Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Since 2008, Hodgdon has served as a rehearsal pianist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood Festival Chorus, preparing vocal programs for Music Director Andris Nelsons and numerous guest conductors for performances at Symphony Hall, Tanglewood, and Carnegie Hall. He has also served as a pianist and vocal coach for Emmanuel Music’s Bach Cantata Series since 2006. Hodgdon holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in collaborative piano from the New England Conservatory.

About Morgan Beckford

Morgan Beckford is Director of Community & Learning at Boston Lyric Opera.  A soprano, arts administrator, and teaching artist originally from Memphis, Tennessee, she brings a multidisciplinary background in opera, musical theater, jazz, and arts education to her work.

As a performer, Morgan has appeared with Boston’s New Gallery Concert Series, the Cape Cod Chorale, and the Choral Art Society of the South. She has also presented lecture-recitals exploring the history of spirituals and African American sacred music, and her stage credits include roles in Susannah, The Magic Flute, In the Heights, and Queenie Pie.