Colin Brush is the director of the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio. He previously served as artistic administrator for Washington National Opera in Washington, D.C., where he helped plan mainstage operas and other performances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, with responsibilities including negotiating artist contracts, casting singers, holding auditions, and traveling extensively in search of talent. A former Bosch Foundation Fellow and the recipient of a Flausen arts research grant, Brush holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Music degree in Opera from the University of Maryland. He speaks four languages.

Since the 2020–21 season, Thomas Herrmann has been Director of the Opera Music Department at the Nationaltheater Mannheim. He previously served at the Staatstheater Nürnberg as Head of Scheduling, Casting Manager, and later Orchestra Director. A graduate of the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and the University of Music in Würzburg, he was Principal Flutist of the Lower Bavarian Philharmonic for two decades before moving into artistic planning and opera administration. His career bridges high-level performance with extensive experience in casting and production management.

Bryan Hymel is an internationally acclaimed tenor who has appeared at many of the world’s leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, La Scala, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, and Bayerische Staatsoper. Noted for his interpretations of French and Italian repertoire, his roles include Aeneas (Les Troyens), Don José (Carmen), Arnold (Guillaume Tell), Rodolfo (La Bohème), and Alfredo (La Traviata). In 2013, he received the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, and his debut solo album Héroïque won the Echo Klassik “Newcomer of the Year Award.

Juliana Zara is an award-winning soprano recognized for her performances in contemporary and classic opera. Recent highlights include role debuts as Lulu, Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), and Shoko (Das Jagdgewehr), as well as appearances at Opernhaus Zürich, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Staatstheater Darmstadt. She has also performed internationally in Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin, she combines a strong stage presence with a commitment to 20th- and 21st-century repertoire.