Cuban Art Song Project

A Celebration of Cuban Music, Education & Community

This fall, Opera Steamboat is bringing the Cuban Art Song Project to the Yampa Valley as part of our 2026 Opera in the Schools program.

From September 21 through October 9, soprano Isabella Lamadriz will visit schools throughout the Yampa Valley, introducing students to the music, rhythms, traditions, and stories of Cuba through interactive educational programs.

The residency will culminate in a special public concert at Wildhorse Cinema, where students, families, and community members will have the opportunity to experience this music performed live by Isabella and her collaborators.

About the Cuban Art Song Project

The Cuban Art Song Project (CASP) is dedicated to preserving, performing, and expanding the rich tradition of Cuban art song, zarzuela, and popular music. The project seeks to bring underrepresented Cuban repertoire to new audiences and encourage its place within the broader canon of regularly performed art music.

Through professional recordings, concerts, and educational resources, CASP works to make this music more accessible to performers, students, and audiences around the world. In 2026, the project is placing a particular emphasis on education and community outreach, developing programs that introduce students to Cuban rhythms, melodies, and cultural traditions.

Learn more about the Cuban Art Song Project at cubanartsongproject.org.

Meet the Artists

Isabella Lamadriz, Soprano

Cuban American soprano Isabella Lamadriz is a classically trained singer who has performed in operatic and concert venues throughout the United States and Europe. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Voice Performance from the Boston Conservatory and has performed demanding operatic roles including the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute and Konstanze in The Abduction from the Seraglio. Isabella is also a professional bassist, performing with Latin, country, rock, and other ensembles in New York City. She founded the Cuban Art Song Project, a nonprofit dedicated to the performance and preservation of Cuban vocal music, and released her debut album, Se Fue, in 2025.

Pablo Zinger, Piano

Pablo Zinger is an internationally acclaimed pianist, conductor, composer, arranger, and musical director specializing in Piazzolla, tango, zarzuela, and Latin American music. He has accompanied Plácido Domingo and recorded with Paquito D’Rivera and Astor Piazzolla, while conducting ensembles and orchestras throughout the Americas and Europe. Zinger has also written for The New York Times and Opera News and served as Musical Director of the Zarzuela Series at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. His decades-long career and deep expertise in Spanish and Latin American musical traditions make him an ideal collaborator for the Cuban Art Song Project.

Takafumi Nikaido, Percussion

Takafumi Nikaido is a Japanese-born percussionist based in New York City who began playing at age seven and later attended Berklee College of Music on scholarship. He has performed internationally with artists including Carlos Vives, Yosvany Terry, Terence Blanchard, Paquito D’Rivera, and Arturo O’Farrill. His connection to Cuban music runs particularly deep: in 2014, he traveled to Cuba to compete in the Fiesta del Tambor Percussion Competition, where he received the Best Foreign Entrant Award, and studied with renowned Cuban percussionists including Changuito, Adel González, and Osain del Monte. Nikaido brings this firsthand experience and expertise in Cuban percussion to the project.

The Culminating Concert

Cuban Art Song Project: An Evening of Cuban Music

Friday, October 9, 2026
Wildhorse Cinema — Take 5 Theater
Doors: 7:00 PM | Concert: 7:30 PM

Join Isabella Lamadriz, Pablo Zinger, and Takafumi Nikaido for an extraordinary evening of Cuban music celebrating the culmination of Opera Steamboat’s 2026 Opera in the Schools program.

Students who participated in the program, their families, and the entire community are invited to experience the music they’ve been exploring in the classroom performed live by these exceptional artists.

Admission by RSVP

This is a donation-encouraged event, with a suggested donation of $50 per person, but no donation is required to attend. Everyone is welcome, simply RSVP for a ticket. Donations to Opera Steamboat are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

If you choose to make a donation when RSVPing, your contribution helps Opera Steamboat continue bringing professional artists, educational programs, and meaningful musical experiences to students and families throughout the Yampa Valley.

When checking out through Givebutter, you may also be offered the option to leave a tip for the Givebutter platform. This tip is optional and is separate from your donation to Opera Steamboat.

The Met Opera on the Big Screen

Metropolitan Opera Live in HD — 2026–27 Season

Opera Steamboat is excited to partner with Wildhorse Arts & Cinema to bring the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning Live in HD series to the Yampa Valley. This season, audiences can experience the full Met Opera 2026–27 season right here in Steamboat Springs.

Verdi’s Macbeth

Saturday, October 17, 2026
Doors: 10:30 AM | Live Transmission: 11:00 AM
Wildhorse Arts & Cinema

Experience Verdi’s thrilling adaptation of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy, where ambition, power, and guilt drive a Scottish king and his ruthless queen toward their downfall.

This striking new production stars Quinn Kelsey as Macbeth and Lise Davidsen as Lady Macbeth, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting. The acclaimed cast also features Freddie De Tommaso as Macduff and Ryan Speedo Green as Banquo.

Live transmission from The Metropolitan Opera
Runtime: Approximately 3 hours, 30 minutes
Language: Italian with English subtitles

Event Details

Doors: 10:30 AM
Live Transmission: 11:00 AM
Tickets: $25

Join us before the performance for complimentary small bites and wine. Additional concessions will be available for purchase.

Reserved seating: Select your specific seat when purchasing your ticket.

Presented in partnership with Wildhorse Cinema and The Metropolitan Opera.

Want to Support Opera Steamboat?

Like what Opera Steamboat is doing in our community? Your support helps us bring exceptional artists, educational programs, and live opera to the Yampa Valley.

Your donation helps make programs like Opera in the Schools possible and allows us to continue creating meaningful musical experiences for students, families, and audiences throughout our community.

Interested in sponsoring Isabella’s residency, supporting this concert, or helping fund a future educational program? We’d love to hear from you.

adam@operasteamboat.org

Celebrate the New Branham Strawberry Park Amphitheatre
with the Opera Cowgirls

Join Opera Steamboat and Piknik Theatre for a special summer evening under the Colorado sky as we welcome the Opera Cowgirls to the new Branham Strawberry Park Amphitheatre on Friday, July 3, 2026.

Known for their extraordinary vocal artistry, Western spirit, and engaging storytelling, the Opera Cowgirls deliver performances that are as entertaining as they are inspiring. Blending beloved operatic favorites with warmth, humor, and audience-friendly charm, they create a concert experience that appeals to seasoned arts lovers and first-time attendees alike. Learn more…

This performance also marks a celebration of one of Steamboat Springs’ newest cultural gathering spaces. Set against the stunning backdrop of Strawberry Park, the amphitheatre provides a beautiful setting for an unforgettable evening of music and community.

Event Details

Opera Cowgirls in Concert
Friday, July 3, 2026
7:00–8:30 PM
Gates open at 6:30 PM

Branham Strawberry Park Amphitheatre
Steamboat Springs, Colorado