Greetings!

Thank you for stopping by for the Liz Cass experience! As you’ll see, I wear several different hats and they all serve the purpose of getting more art and creativity into our world. In addition to singing professionally, I am the Founding Executive Producer of the award-winning LOLA, Local Opera Local Artists, I serve as the Executive Director of the Armstrong Community Music School where I have also been on the faculty since 2004! I serve as President of the Seagle Festival Alumni Association Board, Secretary of the Austin Classical Guitar Board and as a member of the KMFA 89.5 Community Advisory Board. Plus I am the host of both, Bird of the Day and Bird of the Day of the Week and a regular contributor to My Talented Friends Live. I’ve been a professional singer and voice teacher for over 20 years and I’ve got 19+ years of arts administration under my belt! You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for rich and diverse artistic and comedic content.

With LOVE,

Liz Cass: Mezzo-Soprano, Executive Director, Executive Producer, Educator

Liz Cass is a dynamic producer, educator, arts leader, and operatic performer based in Austin, Texas. As the founder and Executive Producer of the award-winning opera company LOLA (Local Opera Local Artists) and the Executive Director of the Armstrong Community Music School where she has been a member of the voice faculty since 2004. Liz is a passionate advocate for the arts. She serves as the president of the Seagle Festival Alumni Association Board, secretary of Austin Classical Guitar Board of Directors, and is a member of the Community Advisory Board of KMFA 89.5, Austin's classical music radio station.

Liz's versatility as a performer is evident in her wide range of roles, from Dinah LeFarge in the world premiere of Lardo Weeping by Peter Stopschinski and Terry Galloway, Mrs. Lowe and Dora, the Bartender in Kevin Puts' The Manchurian Candidate with Austin Opera, to solo performances in Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody with Chorus Austin. Her artistic endeavors have led her to present French art songs for the University of Texas's Songs in the Skyspace series and to feature in Austin Chamber Music Center’s Blue Bash annual gala. Internationally, she has appeared as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah at prestigious venues in Guatemala City and Antigua.

A champion of contemporary works, Liz premiered the mezzo role in Graham Reynolds' opera Pancho Villa From a Safe Distance, earning the Best Singer award from the Austin Critics Table. She performed this role at renowned festivals, including the PuSh Festival in Vancouver and the PROTOTYPE Festival in New York City. Under her leadership, LOLA commissioned renowned composer Peter Stopschinski to write the opera Lardo Weeping , based on Terry Galloway’s one-woman play. Liz's portrayal of Dinah LeFarge in the fully staged production in August 2022 was nominated for the 2021-22 B. Iden Payne Outstanding Lead Performance award, with the opera receiving twelve additional nominations. In the same year, she premiered Donald Grantham’s song cycle Love Songs Sweet and Sour with pianist Carla McElhaney.

Upcoming performances: Mrs. Lowe and Dora in The Manchurian Candidate by Kevin Puts with Austin Opera (November 9th and 10th, 2024), Excerpts from Stop Hitting Yourself by Peter Stopschinski based on the play by the Rude Mechs as part of the inaugural Opera Austin Festival (November 16th, 2024), and the full workshop of Stop Hitting Yourself (March 2025)

Liz began her vocal studies with Dr. Rebecca Folsom and is a graduate of the University of Missouri at Kansas City Conservatory of Music, where she earned her degree in Vocal Performance under the guidance of renowned professor Inci Bashar with whom she continued to study for over 20 years. Liz continued her education as a young artist with the Aspen Music Festival, Seagle Festival, Opera in the Ozarks, Central City Opera, and the Fort Worth Opera.