Lara Bolton is a dynamic, multi-faceted music director, vocal coach, pianist, arranger, and recording artist. Her work spans traditional classical repertoire and innovative, genre-blending projects. Passionate about working with singers from very early in her life, she brings seasoned and diverse experience to the art of vocal theater. 

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Her career is marked by extensive collaboration across the United States, occupying a wide range of artistic and musical roles within leading opera companies. Operatic affiliations include San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, San Diego Opera, Nashville Opera, Seattle Opera, Minnesota Opera, Washington Concert Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, Florentine Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Mill City Summer Opera, Opera Colorado, West Bay Opera, Fresno Opera, and Amarillo Opera. In addition, she has served as a music director and collaborator on productions at the Guthrie Theater, Jungle Theater, and Theater Latté Da.

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Pianistic collaborations include concerts, live-stream performances, song albums, lecture and chamber music recitals. She is a vocal coach for Minnesota Opera, an official pianist for the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and has served on the faculty of the University of Minnesota as Vocal Coach and Interim Professor of Collaborative Piano and Coaching. 

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In addition to her classical work, Lara is an active performer in contemporary and commercial styles. She is a rock keyboardist and co-founder of the band Vintage Starfruit, and creator of Voxspex, a project blending operatic technique with rock and soul idioms. Her work frequently explores the intersection of genres through new collaborations and reimagined repertoire.

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