Jessica Burton

Dr. Jessica Burton has worked in almost every aspect of theatre: director, performer, designer, intimacy choreographer, and administrator. While she grew up moving around the world as a military brat, Colorado is her home state.

During the pandemic, she taught voice and musicianship at Orpheus Academy of Music in Austin, Texas. While there, she helped create their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee that reviewed curriculum for colonized music and expanded the curriculum to include songs by more diverse populations. She also helped create a new musicianship curriculum level and accompanying workbook.

While at Indianapolis Opera, Jessica was the Resident Artist Program Director, where she experienced firsthand what opera companies are looking for in rising opera singers. She also served as the Director of Artistic Production, overseeing all the mainstage operas, from concept to completion.

Jessica’s passions include working with queer communities and helping them navigate the ever-changing operatic landscape; allowing space for advocacy and consent in the rehearsal room; and making sure all singers are comfortable with given on-stage actions.

One of Jessica’s signatures is creating dynamic projections that create a vibrant and interactive world around the singers. From the music in Charlie Parker’s mind swirling around; to shadows overtaking the stage in a Looney Tunes version of the Barber of Seville, her projections always delight the audience.

Favorite past directing credits include: Le nozze di Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, Angels in America: Perestroika and The Millennium Approaches, The Laramie Project, and Bent. She has directed at Indianapolis Opera, Boulder Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, UT Austin, Avenue 10, FAVA France. She has also assistant directed at Florentine Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Austin Opera, Amarillo Opera, LOLA (Local Opera Local Artists), UT Austin, Spotlight on Opera, and FAVA France.

See Jessica Burton’s Website

Doctor of Music in Opera Direction, University of Texas – Austin
Master of Music in Opera Direction, University of Texas – Austin
Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, West Texas A&M University
Bachelor of Science in Technical Theatre, West Texas A&M University