Artists’ Profiles

Conner Gray Covington

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Conductor

Conner Gray Covington recently completed a four-year tenure with the Utah Symphony as Associate Conductor and as Principal Conductor of the Deer Valley® Music Festival. During his tenure in Utah, Covington conducted nearly 300 performances of classical subscription, education, film, pops, and family concerts as well as tours throughout the state. This season he returns to the Utah Symphony as a guest conductor on several occasions and debuts with the Amarillo Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Idaho State Civic Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, and the San Diego Symphony. Previously, he was a Conducting Fellow at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He began his career as Assistant Conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Memphis Youth Symphony Program.

Born in Louisiana, Covington grew up in East Tennessee and began playing the violin at age 11. He completed high school at the renowned High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas. He then went on to study violin with Dr. Martha Walvoord and conducting with Dr. Clifton Evans at the University of Texas at Arlington where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in violin performance. He continued his studies with Neil Varon at the Eastman School of Music where he earned a Masters of Music degree in orchestral conducting and was awarded the Walter Hagen Conducting Prize.

Conner currently lives in Boston with his wife Mischa and their two cats, Razel and Oreo.

Cecilia Violetta Lopéz

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Soprano

Celebrated soprano Cecilia Violetta López has been named one of "Idaho's Top 10 Most Influential Women of the Century." In past seasons, López has made several role debuts including her now critically acclaimed role of Adina in L'elisir d'amore with Opera Idaho, Virginia Opera, and Opera Las Vegas; the title role in Massenet's Manon with Opera Idaho; Nedda in I Pagliacci with Opera Colorado; Marguerite in Faust with Opera Omaha; Mimì in La bohème with Opera Orlando; Rosalba in Florencia en el Amazonas with Florida Grand Opera; Beatrice Russo in Il Postino with Opera Southwest and Opera Saratoga; Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia; Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte; and Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Tampa amongst others across the country.

López also completed a two-year-tenure as a Soprano Resident Artist at Opera San José where she performed Leïla in Les pêcheurs de perles , Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus , Leonora in Il trovatore , the title role in Suor Angelica , Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi , Nannetta in Falstaff, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel , Donna Anna in Don Giovanni , and Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly .

In January 2021, Opera Idaho appointed López as the company's first Artistic Advisor.