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 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.