About Maya Barsacq
Maya Barsacq is a French-American conductor, composer, performance artist, and opera coach whose work bridges tradition and innovation. A dynamic presence on the podium and beyond, she is a passionate advocate for opera, classical, and contemporary classical music.
An accomplished music director, she has appeared with Opera de Tenerife, the New Frequencies Festival, Classical Revolution Orchestra, the Hannover Ensemble, and other international stages. She has also collaborated with Midsummer Mozart Festival, Opera Idaho, and West Bay Opera, working alongside leading singers, directors, and instrumentalists. Her mentors include esteemed conductors George Cleve, Nicole Paiement, Barbara Day Turner, and Michel Singher.
Barsacq is also a dedicated educator. She teaches masterclasses worldwide and coaches opera singers through Cosi7 and SoftlyLoud Consulting.
In 2021, Maya Barsacq founded the Zenith Opera Competition, a prestigious international vocal competition that has rapidly earned a reputation as an invaluable platform for emerging opera stars.
Co-directed with soprano Rebecca Davis, the competition attracts top-tier talent from around the world and is judged by a distinguished panel of the world’s most renowned opera houses, including the NY Metropolitan Opera, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Santa Fe Opera, Seattle Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro Real etc… Now entering its sixth edition, The Zenith Opera competition has already proven instrumental in identifying and nurturing the next generation of operatic talent, offering participants not only recognition but invaluable career-building opportunities. Through rigorous selection and mentorship, the Zenith Opera Competition continues to shape the future of opera, spotlighting rising voices destined to shape the global opera stage.
As a composer, Barsacq continues to expand her creative voice across international stages. Her works have been featured at the Home Stretch Festival (Madison, WI), Loop Barcelona, Theater in Palm (Lisbon), and the National Art Center (Tokyo). Upcoming projects include an immersive theatrical work premiering in Berlin and Paris, as well as a new song cycle, Moment(s), for soprano/tenor and piano. Her recent composition, Split Space for solo cello—commissioned for cellist Kathleen Balfe—received its world premiere in Cádiz, Spain, followed by performances in Tenerife, Barcelona, and Granada. The work will make its highly anticipated U.S. premiere in Santa Cruz, California, in October 2025.
Her curiosity and drive to learn about living composers´works and lives are showcased monthly in her podcast the Aeolian Impromptu