Japanese-American conductor Eiki Isomura is artistic director and principal conductor of Opera in the Heights (OH) in Houston, where he has led over a hundred performances of over twenty-five operas, drawing consistent praise for elevating the company's performance standard.
Recent and upcoming engagements include Toshio Hosokawa’s The Raven at Opera Philadelphia, Jack Perla/Jessica Murphy Moo’s An American Dream at Opera Santa Barbara, the world premiere of Laura Schwendinger/Ginger Strand’s Cabaret of Shadows, Trevor Weston’s Stars, Marcus Maroney’s Velvet, and Rob Smith’s Sprint, and Pierre Jalbert’s All is Now with MUSIQA, Tosca at Opera Orlando, Albert Herring at the Harrower Workshop at Georgia State University, Pirates of Penzance with Houston Gilbert & Sullivan Society, the world premieres Mark Buller’s Drives, Shih-Hui Chen Stillness, and J.E. Hernandez’s Helah, Meilina Tsui/Melisa Tien’s The Big Swim with Houston Grand Opera.
A devoted advocate for new music, Isomura has formed partnerships between numerous organizations and his home company, OH, to co-commission and co-produce new operas including the 2020 world premieres of Anthony Brandt/Neena Beber’s Kassandra and Karim Al-Zand/Ionesco’s The Leader with MUSIQA; and Evan Mack and Josh McGuire’s Yeltsin in Texas with the American Center for New Works Development at Seagle Colony and Texas Christian University. With the Decameron Opera Coalition, Isomura led OH in commissioning and producing Donia Jarrar's Seven Spells (2020) Steve Wallace's Unsung Activist (2021), Alejandro Basulto/Bruno Rios’ Cartas de Inés (2022).
In 2021-22, Isomura developed a partnership between OH and the Holocaust Museum Houston to co-produce Derrick Wang's Scalia/Ginsburg as part of the museum's Notorious RBG exhibit. In 2019, Isomura collaborated with Pacific Opera Project (POP) artistic director, contributing the Japanese translations to Josh Shaw’s Japanese-English bilingual production of Madama Butterfly. The co-production between POP and OH won an Opera America Innovation Grant, and Isomura’s translations have been adapted by Amplified Opera in Toronto and Hawaii Opera Theatre. He also created Japanese translations of Monteverdi’s L’orfeo and Vespers for the IN Series and Theatre Nohgaku’s The Nightsong of Orpheus.
Other highlights of Isomura’s tenure at OH include the Houston premiere of Mack & McGuire's Lucinda y las Flores de la Nochebuena and Piazzola's María de Buenos Aires, both of which he led from the piano. The latter drew praise from the Houston Press: "Isomura seems to have lived another life in Argentina for the love and passion he imbues in the score."
In 2021-22 Isomura conducted the commercial recordings of Brandt/Beber’s Kassandra on the Navona label (“Isomura and his chamber ensemble provide wonderfully atmospheric playing, which they deliver with nuance and virtuosity.” -Opera News) and Al-Zand/Ionesco’s The Leader on the Parma label (“The eleven-piece ensemble led with precision by Eiki Isomura, gives a crackerjack rendering of the virtuoso score.” -Opera News)
Prior to his time at OH, Maestro Isomura served on the music staff of Arizona Opera and HGOco, preparing the workshops and world premieres of numerous chamber operas for Houston Grand Opera. His educational activities have included work with Opera in the Ozarks, Lone Star College, and guest music director of opera at Temple University. In addition to his work as conductor, producer, educator, and sometimes librettist/translator, Isomura is a sought-after adjudicator of vocal competitions and panelist for arts organizations. Maestro Isomura serves on the Opera America Artistic Services Council and holds a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Kenneth Kiesler, who also mentored him as a conducting fellow at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.