Praised for her ability to “draw a rich and beautiful sound,” Emily Senturia is quickly earning recognition as a talented opera conductor capable of leading a wide spectrum of repertoire (Washington City Paper). Drawing from her diverse experience as a violinist, conductor, and coach, San Francisco Bay Area native Emily Senturia approaches operatic repertoire with a sympathetic affinity for both singers and instrumentalists. In the 2025-26 season, Senturia leads performances of La traviata with Kentucky Opera, Giulio Cesare with Opera Santa Barbara, and Così fan tutte with Madison Opera.
Other recent highlights include appearances with the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera and Wolf Trap Opera, leading Le nozze di Figaro, Pirates of Penzance with Kentucky Opera, Bulrusher with West Edge Opera, and The Rape of Lucretia with Temple University. In the 2022-23 season, her performances included Il barbiere di Siviglia with New Orleans Opera, Anonymous Lover with Atlanta Opera, and Rinaldo with both Minnesota Opera and the Glimmerglass Festival. In 2021, Ms. Senturia conducted La clemenza di Tito with Opera Steamboat, assisted Eun Sun Kim in the opening night gala for San Francisco Opera, conducted Dvořák’s 8th symphony with the Diablo Symphony, and continues coaching students at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In 2022, she conducted Semele at Opera Santa Barbara, The Tragedy of Carmen with Hawaii Opera Theatre, Fellow Travelers with Florida Grand Opera, and Sky on Swings at Opera Saratoga.
Ms. Senturia made mainstage conducting debuts with Houston Grand Opera and Washington National Opera in 2018, both with Il barbiere di Siviglia. Recently she has conducted La traviata with Hawaii Opera Theatre, Ariadne auf Naxos with Wolf Trap Opera, and Fellow Travelers with Boston Lyric Opera. She music directed the world premiere of Denis & Katya at Opera Philadelphia’s O19 Festival, and has been on the music staff at Houston Grand Opera (Nixon in China, Tosca, Faust, Aida), the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Le nozze di Figaro), The Atlanta Opera (Sweeney Todd, Carmen), Wolf Trap Opera (The Ghosts of Versailles, Giulio Cesare, La bohème), and Opera Philadelphia (Sky on Swings, Elizabeth Cree, War Stories).
Ms. Senturia is an alum of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Wolf Trap, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Royal Academy of Music. She studied orchestral conducting at Boston University and violin at Rice University.
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