Kostis Protopapas – Artistic Director

Kostis Protopapas was named Artistic Director of Tulsa Opera in May of 2008 and is currently serving as interim executive director. He previously served as the company’s Associate Conductor and Chorusmaster since 2001. His conducting credits with the company include productions of Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci and Le Nozze di Figaro and The Magic Flute as well as student matinee performances of The Cunning Little Vixen and La Bohème.

Protopapas has also been an Assistant Conductor for the Los Angeles Opera since 2004 and has served as Assistant conductor at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Santa Fe Opera. During the 2002 and 2003 seasons he was the assistant chorusmaster at Lyric Opera of Chicago, under Donald Palumbo.

Protopapas has served on the music staffs of Opera Memphis and Virginia Opera; he conducted at Opera in the Ozarks every summer from 2000 to 2004 and has conducted for Da Corneto Opera in Chicago and Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis.

Born in Athens, Protopapas studied Archaeology and History of Art at the University of Athens. He came to the United States in 1993, on an Onassis Foundation scholarship, to study piano at The Boston Conservatory and conducting at Boston University. He lives in Tulsa and Chicago, with his wife, soprano and stage director Cathleen Dunn, and their three cats, Gus, Zsa Zsa, and Miles.