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Carlisle Sessions Floyd
Composer
Biography
Composer, librettist, pianist, and teacher Carlisle Floyd has written operas for many of America’s cherished stories, basing much of his subject matter on Southern themes. Born in the Southern Bible Belt of Latta, South Carolina, he grew up in the thick of traveling preachers, revival meetings, and a close knit religious community, though at a young age was aware of that world’s controversial and hypocritical nature. Floyd’s primary teacher was pianist Ernst Bacon whom he followed from South Carolina to Syracuse University in New York where he earned a Bachelor and a Master of Music. He immediately joined the piano faculty of Florida State University where he began exploring an interest in composition, writing both the libretti and the music for operas with a distinctly American voice. He achieved national recognition with Susanna, which premiered at Florida State University in 1955.

Today Carlisle Floyd’s operas are performed throughout America and Europe and Susanna and Of Mice and Men have become standard repertoire. Floyd was one of eight recipients of the National Medal of Arts in 2004. He is also the winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Citation of Merit from the National Association of American Conductors and Composers and the National Opera Institute’s Award for Service to American Opera. In 2008, Floyd was the only composer to be included in the inaugural National Endowment for the Arts Opera Honors.

OPERA America/Opera.ca Grants Awarded
Click here to learn more about OPERA America granting programs.
GRANT NAMEYEAR
The Opera Fund: Audience Development 2017
New Works Forum Showcase 2015
The Opera Fund: Repertoire Development2014
The Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Showcase 2013
The Opera Fund: Audience Development 2007
The Next Stage1999
The Next Stage1999
The Next Stage1997


Productions
Click company name to view productions details.
COMPANYTITLEDATES
Livermore Valley OperaOf Mice and Men10/7/2023 - 10/15/2023
Opera Theatre of Saint LouisSusannah6/10/2023 - 6/24/2023
Mission OperaSusannah6/9/2023 - 6/10/2023
Marble City OperaSusannah6/8/2023 - 6/10/2023
Opera Fort CollinsSusannah4/28/2023 - 4/30/2023
Wichita Grand OperaSusannah11/11/2022 - 11/13/2022
Wolf Trap Opera CompanySusannah8/12/2022 - 8/20/2022
Manitoba OperaSusannah11/23/2019 - 11/29/2019
Florentine Opera CompanyPrince of Players10/12/2018 - 10/14/2018
The Lighthouse Opera CompanySusannah9/13/2018 - 9/18/2018
Nashville OperaSusannah4/6/2018 - 4/8/2018
Opera in the OzarksSusannah6/24/2017 - 6/24/2017
Fresno Grand OperaOf Mice and Men5/6/2017 - 5/6/2017
Opera ModestoOf Mice and Men4/28/2017 - 4/30/2017
Opera RoanokeSusannah4/28/2017 - 4/30/2017
the little OPERA theatre of NYPrince of Players2/23/2017 - 2/26/2017
Manitoba OperaOf Mice and Men4/23/2016 - 4/29/2016
Houston Grand OperaPrince of Players3/5/2016 - 3/13/2016
Austin OperaOf Mice and Men1/23/2016 - 1/31/2016
Tulsa OperaOf Mice and Men4/10/2015 - 4/12/2015
Toledo OperaSusannah2/13/2015 - 2/15/2015
Florentine Opera CompanyWuthering Heights1/9/2015 - 1/11/2015
San Francisco OperaSusannah9/9/2014 - 9/21/2014
Opera IdahoSusannah5/17/2013 - 5/19/2013
Sarasota OperaOf Mice and Men3/3/2013 - 3/23/2013
Utah Symphony | Utah OperaOf Mice and Men5/5/2012 - 5/13/2012
Florentine Opera CompanySusannah3/3/2012 - 3/18/2012
Des Moines Metro OperaSusannah7/7/2010 - 7/16/2010
Kentucky OperaOf Mice and Men10/10/2009 - 11/11/2009
Fort Worth OperaOf Mice and Men5/5/2008 - 6/6/2008
Opera PacificSusannah5/5/2008 - 5/24/2008
Amarillo OperaCold Sassy Tree4/26/2008 - 4/26/2008
Atlanta OperaCold Sassy Tree2/2/2008 - 2/10/2008
Arizona OperaSusannah4/4/2007 - 4/29/2007
Louisiana State UniversityWillie Stark3/3/2007 - 3/25/2007
Virginia OperaSusannah11/11/2006 - 12/12/2006
Boheme Opera New JerseySusannah4/1/2006 - 4/30/2006
Orlando OperaSusannah11/1/2005 - 11/21/2005
Fargo-Moorhead OperaSusannah4/1/2005 - 4/10/2005
Opera ColumbusSusannah2/1/2005 - 2/6/2005
Hawai'i Opera TheatreSusannah2/1/2005 - 2/15/2005
Lyric Opera of Kansas CityOf Mice and Men11/1/2004 - 11/13/2004
Chautauqua OperaSusannah7/1/2004 - 7/26/2004
Opera OmahaCold Sassy Tree4/1/2004 - 5/1/2004
Opera SouthwestSusannah2/1/2004 - 2/22/2004
University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of MusicMarkheim11/1/2003 - 11/15/2003
New York City OperaOf Mice and Men10/1/2003 - 10/30/2003
Opera SaratogaSusannah7/7/2003 - 7/13/2003
Utah Symphony | Utah OperaCold Sassy Tree5/5/2003 - 5/25/2003
Florentine Opera CompanyOf Mice and Men3/3/2003 - 3/11/2003
Opera CarolinaCold Sassy Tree2/2/2003 - 2/23/2003
Lyric Opera of ChicagoSusannah9/9/2002 - 10/28/2002
Lyric Opera of Kansas CityCold Sassy Tree5/5/2002 - 5/12/2002
Vancouver New MusicOf Mice and Men3/3/2002 - 3/30/2002
Edmonton OperaOf Mice and Men3/3/2002 - 3/14/2002
Eugene OperaSusannah3/3/2002 - 3/10/2002
Palm Beach OperaSusannah3/2/2002 - 3/4/2002
Houston Grand OperaOf Mice and Men2/2/2002 - 2/15/2002
Shreveport OperaSusannah1/26/2002 - 1/26/2002
Utah Festival OperaSusannah7/7/2001 - 7/27/2001
Toledo OperaSusannah4/28/2001 - 5/6/2001
Opera CarolinaSusannah4/4/2001 - 4/22/2001
San Diego Opera AssociationCold Sassy Tree3/3/2001 - 4/4/2001
Austin OperaCold Sassy Tree1/1/2001 - 1/15/2001
Calgary Opera AssociationSusannah1/1/2001 - 2/2/2001
Fort Worth OperaSusannah11/3/2000 - 11/11/2000
Houston Grand OperaCold Sassy Tree4/4/2000 - 5/6/2000
Indianapolis OperaSusannah3/3/2000 - 3/12/2000
Connecticut OperaSusannah3/3/2000 - 3/11/2000
Arizona OperaOf Mice and Men2/2/2000 - 2/20/2000
Kentucky OperaSusannah2/2/2000 - 2/13/2000
Nashville OperaSusannah1/1/2000 - 1/25/2000
Opera Ontario, Inc.Susannah11/11/1999 - 11/26/1999
Opera North (U.S.)Susannah8/8/1999 - 8/28/1999
Charlottesville OperaSusannah7/7/1999 - 8/15/1999
Opéra de MontréalSusannah4/4/1999 - 4/26/1999
Metropolitan OperaSusannah3/31/1999 - 4/22/1999
The Cleveland OperaOf Mice and Men3/3/1999 - 3/28/1999
Orlando OperaOf Mice and Men3/3/1999 - 3/30/1999
San Diego Opera AssociationOf Mice and Men2/2/1999 - 2/21/1999
Utah Symphony | Utah OperaOf Mice and Men1/1/1999 - 1/24/1999
New York City OperaOf Mice and Men11/11/1998 - 11/20/1998
Augusta OperaSusannah4/4/1998 - 4/25/1998
Chattanooga SymphonySusannah3/21/1998 - 3/21/1998
Ozarks Lyric OperaSusannah3/3/1998 - 3/30/1998
Glimmerglass FestivalOf Mice and Men7/7/1997 - 8/24/1997
Central City OperaSusannah7/7/1997 - 8/8/1997
Vancouver New MusicSusannah2/2/1997 - 2/10/1997
Pittsburgh Festival OperaSusannah5/5/1996 - 5/18/1996
Houston Grand OperaSusannah5/1/1996 - 5/12/1996
San Diego Opera AssociationThe Passion of Jonathan Wade2/2/1996 - 3/1/1996
Baltimore Opera CompanySusannah7/1/1995 - 7/16/1995
Dayton Performing Arts Alliance Susannah3/1/1995 - 3/19/1995
University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of MusicSusannah2/1/1994 - 2/13/1994
Lyric Opera of ChicagoSusannah10/1/1993 - 11/11/1993
Berkshire Opera CompanySusannah7/1/1993 - 7/24/1993
Boston Lyric OperaWuthering Heights3/1/1993 - 3/16/1993
Seattle OperaThe Passion of Jonathan Wade10/1/1992 - 11/1/1992
Lyric Opera of Kansas CitySusannah9/1/1991 - 10/1/1991
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