David Lomelí — From Tenor to Trailblazer: Redefining Opera’s Future
About episode 12 (released April 10, 2025):
This conversation takes us through his remarkable journey from a naturally gifted singer in Mexico to becoming one of opera’s most influential casting directors and artistic leaders.
Lomelí brings remarkable candor to his discussion of opera’s business realities. Having seen the industry from both sides of the curtain, he reveals how financial pressures increasingly drive artistic decisions, with programming often shaped more by donor interests than artistic vision (in the bigger houses). His insider perspective on casting illuminates the delicate balance between artistic integrity and economic survival that defines the contemporary opera scene.
As a self-described “specialist shopper” of vocal talent who now consults for multiple major companies, Lomelí takes us into the nerve center of opera production. He shares the challenges of assembling the perfect cast when dealing with complex scheduling, budget limitations, and the competing visions of conductors, directors, and administrators. His stories from the “room where it happens” offer rare insights into how artistic decisions are actually made.
Perhaps most compelling is Lomelí’s passionate advocacy for industry-wide transformation. He makes a compelling case for opera to revolutionize its approach to media, marketing, and audience engagement—proposing an “Olympic Committee of Opera” that could unite companies worldwide under collective promotion and corporate sponsorship. His vision for opera’s future embraces technological innovation and transparency while honoring the extraordinary artistry that makes this form so powerful.
Whether you’re a performer seeking to understand the casting process, an arts administrator grappling with financial challenges, or simply a lover of opera curious about its inner workings, this conversation will transform how you see the art form. Listen now and join the movement to reimagine opera for a new generation.
Who is David Lomelí?
David Lomelí became the very first Latino in US history to occupy a top artistic position at a Level 1 opera Company when he was named the Director of Artistic Administration at The Dallas Opera in 2018. In September 2019, he joined the team at the historic Bavarian State Opera in Munich where he was part of the team casting more than 30 new productions and 50 revival productions for the 2021-2025 seasons, becoming the very first Hispanic ever to hold the position of Head of Casting in a top 5 company in the world.
In April 2021, he joined the Santa Fe Opera in a newly created position as Chief Artistic Officer, overseeing all the company’s artistic output. After a full calendar year with the company and managing the festivals of 2021 and 2022, Santa Fe Opera won “Festival of the Year” at the International Opera Awards in November 2022. The Bayerische Staatsoper also won best Company of the Year in 2023.
During his time with The Dallas Opera, Lomelí was involved in the commissioning and producing of five world premieres, and facilitated the debuts of major International and US stars. He is most proud of his work with The Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute for Women Conductors (HIWC), where he and his team recruited over 400 conductors with applications spanning more than 30 countries and 50 US women administrators and helped raised more than 7 million in foundation grants and individual gifts. During the pandemic, Lomelí created the TDO Network for The Dallas Opera, which generated more than 300 million views on its social media handles for the company from March 2020 to April 2021.
Before joining TDO, Mr. Lomelí performed as a world-renowned tenor with many top leading companies, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Glyndebourne Festival, Santa Fe Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and San Francisco Opera. He is a recipient of the National Youth Prize in the Arts, presented by the Mexican government, and won first prize in both categories of opera and zarzuela in Plácido Domingo’s 2006 Operalia. Mr. Lomelí is an alumnus of some of the most prestigious training programs for opera artists, including the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program at LA Opera, the Merola Opera Program, and Adler Fellowship at the San Francisco Opera, and the International Society of Mexican Art and Values in México City.
He earned an undergraduate degree in computer science engineering at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in México and a graduate degree in international marketing from la Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.
*text from LomeliConsulting.com
All episodes, after publication, are also available in video form on YouTube Channels. All are hosted by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman.
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