Damien Elwood

DAMIEN ELWOOD is currently Manager of the USC Thornton Opera where he oversees budget, operations, and production. He is also currently starting the Los Angeles chapter of Opera On Tap, for which he is a Co-Managing Divo. Mr. Elwood recently completed a 5 year commitment with the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival where as General Manager he helped the organization successfully transition from startup to an established, respected vocal training program.

As a production manager Elwood has overseen a variety of productions ranging from festival scenes programs to fully staged opera presentations. He has managed original productions of Agrippina, The Rake’s Progress, Three Penny Opera, L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, Cendrillon, Idomeneo, Powder Her Face, Miss Loneylyhearts, I Caputleti e i Montecchi, Summer and Smoke, Albert Herring, and Das Liebesverbot. For the USC Thornton Opera 2010-11 season he is overseeing original productions of Gianni Schicchi and La finta giardiniera along with a remounting of the Central City Opera 2010 production of Jake Heggie's Three Decembers.

Mr. Elwood studied Vocal Arts at the University of Southern California. As a singer he appeared as Jose in Carmen, Tom Rakewell in The Rakes Progress, and various compramario roles. Over his career as a singer and production manager Elwood has worked with such conductors as Roger Wagner, Herbert Bloomstedt, Zubin Mehta, Michael Tilson Thomas, Tim Lindberg, Jorge Mester, Brent McMunn, and Andreas Mitisek. Stage directors he has worked with include Michael Hampa, Dejan Miladinovic, Ken Cazan, James Marvel, Pat Diamond, Julian Webber, and James Darrah.