2026-2027 New Orleans District Judges
Arianna Zukerman
Arts Administrator and soprano.
Renowned for her pure, luminous, rich soprano, persuasive performances and dramatic ability, Arianna Zukerman’s singing career has taken her to opera and concert stages around the world.
Notable collaborations include with conductors, Jane Glover, Lorin Maazel, Rossen Milanov, Constantine Orbelian and Ivor Bolton. She has sung at the Bavarian State Opera (Munich), New York City Opera, and the Berkshire Opera Company among others.
Ms. Zukerman has chaired several noteworthy vocal programs including at Wintergreen Music in Wintergreen, VA, YAA Classical: Voice, and was the Senior Director and a faculty member at the Potomac Vocal Institute in Washington, DC. She is the Manager of Artistic Administration for Opera and Classical Programming at Wolf Trap Opera.
David Neely
Conductor, Music Director, Educator.
David Neely Is Music Director and Principal Conductor of Des Moines Metro Opera and Director of Orchestras at the University of Maryland. He previously served on the faculty of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and was Music Director of the Butler Opera Center at the University of Texas. He has appeared with Atlanta Opera, Sarasota Opera, Dortmund Opera, Bonn Opera, Memphis Symphony, National Orchestra Institute, the Apollo Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and the American Lyric Theater, among many others. Upcoming engagements include Jenůfa with Karita Mattila.
Website: www.ariannazukerman.com
Maureen Zoltek
Music Director, educator, pianist.
Pianist and educator Maureen Zoltek has built a dynamic career working with leading vocalists, orchestras, and opera companies across North America and abroad. She currently serves as the Butler Studio Music Director at Houston Grand Opera as well as a teaching artist at both Music Academy of the West and Festival Napa Valley. Previously, Dr. Zoltek spent eight seasons on the music staff of San Francisco Opera and has assisted at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Canadian Opera Company, and Opera Theatre of St. Louis, among others. Dr. Zoltek earned her D.M.A. from Manhattan School of Music and holds a master’s degree in piano performance and musicology. When she is not in rehearsal, Dr. Zoltek enjoys baking, true crime podcasts, and traveling with her standard poodle, Henry.
2026-2027 Gulf Coast Region Judges
Ms. Eaglen will be leading a public Master Class on Monday, January 18, 2027 at Roussel Hall for selected Gulf Coast Singers. Please go to our Events Page for more information about being in the audience.
Grant Loehnig
Master Opera Coach, Arts Administrator.
Pianist and vocal coach Grant Loehnig serves as Head of Music Staff at Opera Philadelphia and Master Opera Coach on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music. He has worked regularly on the music staffs of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Aspen Opera Theater, Spoleto Festival, Festival Napa Valley, and Wolf Trap Opera, where for ten years he served as Head of Music Staff.
His recital credits include collaborations with many of today’s leading vocalists, including Lawrence Brownlee, Susanne Mentzer, Morris Robinson, Paul Groves, John Holiday, Will Liverman, Marcus DeLoach, and Anthony Roth Costanzo. He has premiered pieces by Tyshawn Sorey, David Hertzberg, and Karim Al-Zand. He prepared the chorus and small roles for Houston Symphony’s performances of Wozzeck, awarded the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording.
Jane Eaglen
Soprano, Grammy Award Winner, Teacher.
Soprano Jane Eaglen has had a distinguished career as one of Opera’s leading artists. She is particularly known for her interpretations of Wagner roles such as Brünnhilde and Isolde, but had equal success with Bellini’s Norma, Mozart’s Donna Anna, and Puccini’s Turandot.
She has sung with major opera companies around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, La Scala and the Vienna State Opera.
Collaborations with conductors have included Ricardo Muti, Zubin Mehta, James Levine and Daniel Barenboim.
In addition to her operatic career, she has performed with most of the world’s great orchestras, in repertoire including, Mahler 8th Symphony, Verdi Requiem, Berg Seven Early Songs and Strauss Four Last Songs.
She has an extensive discography including several solo CDs for Sony Classical, Wagner’s Tannhäuser, for which she won a Grammy, and the soundtrack of the movie Sense and Sensibility.
She was honored by Congress in the United States House of Representatives and is the recipient of a Licea Albanese-Puccini Foundation lifetime achievement award. She was awarded honorary Doctorates by McGill University and Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln, England. She is an honorary member of the North California Wagner Society and received the Reginald Goodall Award from the Wagner Society of London.
Ms Eaglen is currently on the voice faculty at the New England Conservatory in Boston and is artistic director and co-founder of the American Wagner Festival.
2026-2027 Gulf Coast Pianists
José Meléndez
Vocal coach, conductor, and collaborative artist.
José Meléndez is the collaborative pianist for Guif Region competitors from the Puerto Rico District. He has been associated with numerous young artist programs, competitions, and training centers. He holds a full-time position at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia where he is Assistant to the Music Director, Orchestra Librarian, and part of the music staff. He serves as Assistant Conductor, Collaborative Pianist, and Vocal Coach for various AVA productions and events, and he is also the Music Director of Concert Operetta Philadelphia. Mr. Meléndez has held professional positions with Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Hawaii Opera, Ocean City (NJ) Pops Orchestra, Connecticut Grand Opera, Bay Area Summer Opera Theater, Westminster Opera Theater, Indianapolis Opera, and Opera de Puerto Rico. He worked with Opera New Jersey as Assistant Conductor and Principal Coach, and as Music Director of the Young Artist Program. He made his Carnegie Hall debut as a solo pianist in a recital with pianist José Ramos Santana in May of 2011. He continues his role as Principal Coach and Pianist for the Puerto Rico Metropolitan Council District and Regional Auditions, a position he has held for over 18 years.
Michael Borowitz
Accompanist, Conductor, Artistic Director
Michael Borowitz is a conductor and pianist who is currently in his tenth year as Music Director and Associate Professor of LSU Opera. He has served as the Music Director for five seasons and the Artistic Director for one year with Opéra Louisiane. He has spent two summers conducting for La Musica Lirica in Novafeltria, Italy. Michael worked for nine years as the Artistic Director of Nevada Opera, and for ten seasons has been the Music Director for Ohio Light Opera. Michael has been a guest conductor for La Musica Lirica, Des Moines Metro Opera, Baltimore Concert Opera, Opera Delaware, Pensacola Opera, AVA Ballet, Eastman School of Music, Opera Idaho, Opera Southwest, Rimrock Opera, Opera Columbus, The Reno Philharmonic and the LSU Symphony Orchestra.
Website: MichaelBorowitz.com
