Creators in Concert: Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj
Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, director, multi-disciplinary artist
Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj is an Indo-Afro-Caribbean American theater director, multi-disciplinary artist, educator, and activist. He directed Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2023 world premiere of The Factotum, which he co-created with Will Liverman and DJ King Rico. In the 2022–2023 season, Maharaj took part in Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ inaugural New Works Collective, serving as a director and community consultant for Slanted: An American Rock Opera, Madison Lodge, and Cook Shack. In addition, he directed Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ 2023 production of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha, reimagined by composer Damien Sneed and librettist Karen Chilton.
Maharaj has been honored with numerous awards for his body of work in the American theater, including the prestigious Woodie King Jr. Award, four Audelco Awards, Barrymore Awards, SDC Theatrical Moment of the Year, and the NY Fringe Overall Excellence Award, among others. He was twice hailed in The New York Times as a Critic’s Pick.
Maharaj is an assistant professor of stage direction at SUNY Geneseo.
Marc A. Scorca, OPERA America President/CEO
Marc A. Scorca joined OPERA America in 1990 as president and CEO. Since that time, the OPERA America membership has grown from 120 opera companies to 3,500 organizations and individuals. Under his leadership, OPERA America has administered two landmark funding initiatives in support of the development of North American operas and opera audiences and launched an endowment effort in 2000 to create a permanent fund dedicated to supporting new works and audience development activities. In 2005, Scorca spearheaded OPERA America’s relocation from Washington, D.C. to New York City and the subsequent construction of the National Opera Center, which opened in 2012 and serves 80,000 guests each year. The Opera Center’s recital hall was dedicated as Marc A. Scorca Hall in 2015 in honor of Scorca’s 25th anniversary with the organization.
Scorca has led strategic planning retreats for opera companies and other cultural institutions internationally, and has participated on panels for federal, state, and local funding agencies, as well as for numerous private organizations. He also appears frequently in the media on a variety of cultural issues. A strong advocate of collaboration, Scorca has led several cross-disciplinary projects, including the Performing Arts Research Coalition and the National Performing Arts Convention (2004 and 2008). He is currently a member of the U.S. delegation to UNESCO. Scorca serves as an officer on the boards of the Performing Arts Alliance and the Curtis Institute of Music, and is on the Music Advisory Board of Hunter College (CUNY). Scorca attended Amherst College, where he graduated with high honors in both history and music.