About Us

In a world where brand definition rules, three singers found themselves longing for a space to play around with something different—something off-brand. Tradition told them that’s not how it’s done. But what if it could be?


Off-Brand Opera strives to expand and blur the boundaries of genre and performance practice, bringing musical communities together in the service of telling a story. We produce cross-disciplinary collaborations in order to foster fresh, relatable, and relevant interpretations of beloved works. 


Off-Brand Opera is committed to:

  • Creating safe spaces for artists to take risks when it comes to performance practice and genre.

  • Performing in intimate, non-traditional venues to foster audience connection, communication, and immersion.

  • Hiring performers from a diverse set of race, gender, and musical backgrounds.

  • Providing community events that are relatable and appealing to local NYC audiences.

Off-Brand Opera Artistic Board

  • CHRISTINE DUNCAN

    Executive Director & Co-Founder
    Operatic mezzo-soprano Christine Duncan is also a little bit world folk and a little bit rock and roll.

  • ERIN KENNEDY

    Executive Producer & Co-Founder
    Music director and performer Erin Kennedy is passionate about finding joy and accessibility in both contemporary and classical music.

  • VERONICA SHEA

    Artistic Director & Co-Founder
    Veronica Shea is a performer, digital marketer, & theatrical producer working across genres to best tell the story at hand.

  • PHOEBE CORDE

    Board Member
    Dramaturg, writer, and illustrator Phoebe Corde specializes in the strange, magical, and otherworldly.

  • BRENDAN HARTNETT

    Board Member
    Brendan Hartnett is an educator, director, and singer passionate about developing the next generation of performers.

  • JAKE LANDAU

    Board Member
    Composer, conductor, and pianist Jake Landau’s work fuses interests in ancient modes, diverse genres, and queer identity.

  • LESLIE ANDREA WILLIAMS

    Board Member
    Leslie Andrea Williams is a dancer and performer whose work and collaborations span multiple genres and industries.

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Off-Brand Opera Advisory Board

  • MARK CAMPBELL

    Mark Campbell is a Pulitzer Prize and Grammy-award winning librettist and lyricist.

  • ANDREA DELGIUDICE

    Andrea DelGiuice is an internationally-renowned soprano, voice teacher, and stage director known to many as “the voice whisperer.”

  • BRIAN STAUFENBIEL

    Critically-acclaimed stage and film director Brian Staufenbiel is also the creative director of Opera Parallèle.

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