Collaborators
Caroline Shaw, composer, violinist, vocalist
Oracle Hysterical, composer collective
FLUX Quartet, string quartet
Ken Ueno, composer, sound artist, vocalist
Thomas Tsang, architect
Big Blue North, recording studio
New Vintage Baroque, baroque band
High Concept Labs, residency space
G.F. Haas, composer
Marcos Balter, composer
American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME)
Lara Kastner, photographer
Four Ten Media, video production team
Habib Azar, television and stage director
Christopher Alden, stage director
Mike Maizels, dramaturg and professor of art history
Jeff Dolven, professor of English
The Living Earth Show, performance duo
Starline Social Club, event space
M Lamar, performer
David J. Levin, dramaturg and professor of Germanic studies
National Sawdust, event space
Naissance Inc, design firm
Mana Contemporary Chicago, venue
The Kitchen, venue
Ariadne Grief, soprano
Chris Botta, guitarist, mix engineer
Teddy Rankin-Parker, cellist, improviser
Lewis Nielson, composer
Phyllis Chen, toy pianist, composer
Chicago Composers Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra
Zhou B. Art Center, venue
Scrappers Film Group, film collective
Joseph Cermatori, dramaturg and professor of English
Alexander Overington, sound designer, composer, WQXR
Elliot Cole, composer, performer
Majel
Artistic and Executive Director
Vocalist, composer, scholar, and producer, Majel Connery is a relentless ambassador for new opera. In all branches of her artistic life, Connery propels a reimagining of contemporary opera through bold collaborations with artists beyond the operatic mainstream. Trained in classical opera, but nurtured by popular music and indie-rock, Connery’s distinctive voice has served as muse to a range of composers from Caroline Shaw (Pulitzer Prize) to Ken Ueno (Berlin and Rome Prizes). In 2016-17 she had the honor of serving as Mohr Visiting Artist at Stanford University, where she partnered with the St. Lawrence String Quartet in the debut of Caroline Shaw’s first opera, “Contriving the Chimes,” with famed opera director Christopher Alden at Bing Concert Hall Studio.
As co-founder and director of Opera Cabal, Majel pursues outsider artists hell-bent on creating work that fuses popular and art cultures outside the domain of opera. These are passion projects, and in her capacity as vocalist, director, and producer, she has spearheaded work with a range of artists in a range of styles. Simultaneously, she is often approached by artists unfamiliar but inquisitive about opera, who seek a rules-free environment for experimenting with opera on their own terms. Here, as collaborator and producer, she oversees the creative process of guest artists, guiding them from conceptualization to realization during their residencies with the company.
Board of Directors
Kevin Simmons
Majel A. Connery
Michael G. Connery
Michael Maizels
Advisory Board
Thomas Christensen
Chaya Czernowin
Jason Eckardt
Martha Feldman
David J. Levin
Philippe Manoury
Jeffrey Milarsky
Lewis Nielson
Tara Helen O'Connor
Fred Sherry
Nadia Sirota
Nils Vigeland