our story: why fredericksburg?

As told by our artistic Director, Brendan boyle

Lone Star Opera was founded by three friends with different backgrounds but with one important thing in common: a deep love for opera. 

“Joseph, Kelly, and I met during a production of Carmen in Florida and it didn’t take long for the beginnings of Lone Star Opera to take shape. We were just friends who were chatting between rehearsals and we realized we had a mutual dream to start our own singer-led company and to spread the joy of opera.
With my deep family roots in Fredericksburg, I had always been looking for opportunities to tie my family and professional life here. When Joseph and Kelly approached me with their longtime interest in starting an opera company, I knew that Fredericksburg would be the perfect place. With its deep history and tradition and a bustling tourism industry, Fredericksburg is a natural home for opera. LSO looks forward to adding to an already high quality performing arts scene: Big city caliber operatic performances with small town, Texas charm.
Here are clips from the Carmen production where we became friends and business partners. We hope to bring grand opera to Fredericksburg and this is just a taste of the artistry to come." - Brendan Boyle, LSO Artistic Director

our vision

Happy closing show of La Traviata with @operasanjose for our General Director, Joseph Calzada who is sang the role of Dr. Grenvil. You’ll hear tunes this amazing opera at our next concert!
Happy closing show of La Traviata with @operasanjose for our General Director, Joseph Calzada who is sang the role of Dr. Grenvil. You’ll hear tunes this amazing opera at our next concert!
Congratulations to our director of development @kellyguerramezzo for her run as Sesto in Handel’s Giulio Cesare at @operasantabarbara ! #operasingersofinstagram #opera #timotheechalamet 😉
Congratulations to our director of development @kellyguerramezzo for her run as Sesto in Handel’s Giulio Cesare at @operasantabarbara ! #operasingersofinstagram #opera #timotheechalamet 😉
Part two!! We really HAVE been busy bringing high-quality opera performances to stages across the country. This past weekend, @joseph.calzada.official debuted with @sandiegoopera as Fiorello in The Barber of Seville. Lone Star Opera is built by wor
Part two!! We really HAVE been busy bringing high-quality opera performances to stages across the country. This past weekend, @joseph.calzada.official debuted with @sandiegoopera as Fiorello in The Barber of Seville. Lone Star Opera is built by working artists actively performing at a high level nationwide. This is a taste of our artistry — and there’s more to come. #operasingersofinstagram #opera #fredericksburgtx
We’ve been hard at work! Behind the scenes, Lone Star Opera’s founders have been delivering high-quality performances across the USA, and we couldn’t be more proud of the artistry coming out of our community. Most recently, Artist
We’ve been hard at work! Behind the scenes, Lone Star Opera’s founders have been delivering high-quality performances across the USA, and we couldn’t be more proud of the artistry coming out of our community. Most recently, Artistic Director Brendan Boyle brought powerful storytelling and musical depth to Silent Night as Nikolaus Sprink with @operaorlando Lone Star Opera is built by working artists doing meaningful work on stages around the country. This is just a glimpse of the artistry we’re bringing home. More to come. Always 🎭✨ #LoneStarOpera #fredericksburg #texas #operasingersofinstagram
🎶 It started backstage at Carmen. 🎶 The founders of Lone Star Opera first met while working on a production together. What began as a shared love for this powerful art form quickly turned into deep conversations, big ideas, and an unexpected friendship. We bonded over our belief that opera is alive, relevant, and meant to move everyone. From late-night talks to bold dreams, we realized we didn’t just want to perform opera — we wanted to build something together. Lone Star Opera was born from working artists who believe in the power of music, storytelling, and community. We’re performers who love what we do, and creators who want to make opera welcoming, exciting, and accessible to all. This company is built on friendship, passion, and the belief that art connects us in ways nothing else can. And we’re just getting started 🤍 🎶✨🤠#texas #lonestaropera #operareel #opera #hillcountry
✨ Happy Holidays from Lone Star Opera ✨ As the year comes to a close, we’re filled with gratitude for our community, our artists, and everyone who believes in the power of live music and storytelling. May this holiday season be filled with war
✨ Happy Holidays from Lone Star Opera ✨ As the year comes to a close, we’re filled with gratitude for our community, our artists, and everyone who believes in the power of live music and storytelling. May this holiday season be filled with warmth, joy, and beautiful moments shared with those you love. We can’t wait to raise our voices with you in the new year—here’s to music, connection, and a bright season ahead. 🎶⭐
✨ Meet Our Director of Development: Kelly Guerra ✨ Peruvian-American mezzo-soprano Kelly Guerra brings both artistic distinction and heartfelt advocacy to Lone Star Opera. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2024 in Golijov’s Ainadamar an
✨ Meet Our Director of Development: Kelly Guerra ✨ Peruvian-American mezzo-soprano Kelly Guerra brings both artistic distinction and heartfelt advocacy to Lone Star Opera. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2024 in Golijov’s Ainadamar and has performed on some of the world’s most celebrated stages, including Carnegie Hall, major U.S. opera companies, and leading international festivals. Dr. Guerra holds degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Bard College, and UC Santa Barbara, and uniquely blends her performance career with experience in the tech world. As a first-generation American, she is deeply committed to making the concert hall welcoming, inclusive, and vibrant for all audiences. She’s thrilled to be spending more time with her family in Texas and helping build a strong, sustainable future for opera in the Hill Country. 🎶✨
✨ Meet Our Artistic Director: Brendan Boyle ✨ Hailing from Kansas, Brendan Boyle has been immersed in classical music from a young age, bringing both deep musical roots and dynamic artistry to Lone Star Opera. He holds degrees from Washburn Universi
✨ Meet Our Artistic Director: Brendan Boyle ✨ Hailing from Kansas, Brendan Boyle has been immersed in classical music from a young age, bringing both deep musical roots and dynamic artistry to Lone Star Opera. He holds degrees from Washburn University and Baylor University, along with a Performer’s Diploma from Indiana University. After his training, Brendan spent many years in Austin, TX, performing regularly with Austin Opera and building a thriving private voice studio. Today, Brendan performs with opera companies across the country, with recent roles including Mario Cavaradossi (Tosca) and Don José (Carmen), and exciting upcoming engagements on stages nationwide. He lives in Kansas with his family while spending significant time in the Texas Hill Country—a place close to his heart and artistic vision. As Artistic Director, Brendan brings passion, experience, and a powerful love for storytelling through music to everything we do. 🎶🎭
✨ Meet Our General Director: Joseph Calzada ✨ American-Greek bass-baritone Joseph Calzada brings a rare blend of artistic excellence and visionary leadership to Lone Star Opera. With an exciting 2025–2026 season ahead, Joseph performs regularl
✨ Meet Our General Director: Joseph Calzada ✨ American-Greek bass-baritone Joseph Calzada brings a rare blend of artistic excellence and visionary leadership to Lone Star Opera. With an exciting 2025–2026 season ahead, Joseph performs regularly with leading opera companies, symphonies, and festivals across the country, building on a career that includes major orchestras, regional opera houses, and prestigious young artist programs. He is a 2024 Studio Artist alum of Wolf Trap Opera and holds advanced degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, with undergraduate training from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Beyond the stage, Joseph is a seasoned business strategist and venture investor. Holding an MBA from Southern Utah University, he leads a private venture capital firm with investments in biotech and food & beverage brands, specializing in early-stage growth and long-term value creation. This entrepreneurial, results-driven mindset shapes his leadership at Lone Star Opera—uniting artistic integrity with smart, sustainable vision for the future of opera in Fredericksburg and beyond. 🎶⭐
Opera is big feelings, unforgettable music, and stories that hit straight to the heart 🎶 It’s love, joy, jealousy, triumph, and heartbreak—all wrapped in soaring voices and live music you can feel. Opera doesn’t need translation t
Opera is big feelings, unforgettable music, and stories that hit straight to the heart 🎶 It’s love, joy, jealousy, triumph, and heartbreak—all wrapped in soaring voices and live music you can feel. Opera doesn’t need translation to move you: when a human voice fills a room with raw emotion, everyone understands. It’s drama, comedy, beauty, and power—amplified. Opera is not distant or dusty. It’s alive, thrilling, and made to be experienced together. Once you hear it live, there’s nothing else like it. 🎭✨ #opera #texas #hillcountry #entertainment #music
Happy closing show of La Traviata with @operasanjose for our General Director, Joseph Calzada who is sang the role of Dr. Grenvil. You’ll hear tunes this amazing opera at our next concert! Congratulations to our director of development @kellyguerramezzo for her run as Sesto in Handel’s Giulio Cesare at @operasantabarbara ! #operasingersofinstagram #opera #timotheechalamet 😉 Part two!! We really HAVE been busy bringing high-quality opera performances to stages across the country. This past weekend, @joseph.calzada.official debuted with @sandiegoopera as Fiorello in The Barber of Seville. Lone Star Opera is built by wor We’ve been hard at work! Behind the scenes, Lone Star Opera’s founders have been delivering high-quality performances across the USA, and we couldn’t be more proud of the artistry coming out of our community. Most recently, Artist
🎶 It started backstage at Carmen. 🎶 The founders of Lone Star Opera first met while working on a production together. What began as a shared love for this powerful art form quickly turned into deep conversations, big ideas, and an unexpected frien
✨ Happy Holidays from Lone Star Opera ✨ As the year comes to a close, we’re filled with gratitude for our community, our artists, and everyone who believes in the power of live music and storytelling. May this holiday season be filled with war ✨ Meet Our Director of Development: Kelly Guerra ✨ Peruvian-American mezzo-soprano Kelly Guerra brings both artistic distinction and heartfelt advocacy to Lone Star Opera. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2024 in Golijov’s Ainadamar an ✨ Meet Our Artistic Director: Brendan Boyle ✨ Hailing from Kansas, Brendan Boyle has been immersed in classical music from a young age, bringing both deep musical roots and dynamic artistry to Lone Star Opera. He holds degrees from Washburn Universi ✨ Meet Our General Director: Joseph Calzada ✨ American-Greek bass-baritone Joseph Calzada brings a rare blend of artistic excellence and visionary leadership to Lone Star Opera. With an exciting 2025–2026 season ahead, Joseph performs regularl Opera is big feelings, unforgettable music, and stories that hit straight to the heart 🎶 It’s love, joy, jealousy, triumph, and heartbreak—all wrapped in soaring voices and live music you can feel. Opera doesn’t need translation t

Our vision is to cultivate a thriving operatic presence in the Hill Country, one that celebrates the region’s heritage, nurtures artistic talent through education, and expands cultural opportunities for future generations.

A multi-tiered Christmas carousel with figurines, decorated with holiday lights and bows, set outdoors with Christmas trees and a building in the background during dusk.

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@lonestaropera

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