Our People

(260) 201-1013

debra@opera-today.com

Dr. Debra J. Lynn (she/her) is co-founder of Opera Today! where she serves as both Executive and Artistic Director for the company. As Executive Director, she oversees all operations within the company on both the business and the creative side. She also works tirelessly on fund-raising and submitting grant proposals. As Artistic Director, she opens the creative floodgates in her brain to set in motion the innovative, collaborative, and unique programs and performances produced by Opera Today! She conducts the pit orchestra for most performances, and she stage directs several shows each year as well.

Debra has 30+ years' experience in academia as a voice and conducting pedagogue, opera director, and ensemble conductor. She has stood on some of the most prestigious podiums in the world including Sacred Heart Basilica at Notre Dame University, Walt Disney World, the Vatican in Rome, the basilicas of San Marco in Venice and Saint Frances of Assisi in Italy, appearances in London and Austria, and multiple performances at Carnegie Hall in New York. She has worked with Metropolitan Opera legends Nicholas DiVirgilio and Mignon Dunn as well as Kathleen Smith Belcher from the MET’s current roster of stage directors.

As a composer, Dr. Lynn writes both instrumental and vocal music and has received several commissions including Lily and Plowshares Foundation requests. She particularly enjoys collaborative projects and has most recently worked with Nathan Granner (tenor), Jamie Chamberlin (soprano), Daniel Belcher (Grammy-winning, baritone), Farrell Vernon (saxophone), and Elizabeth Mikautadze (choreographer) as well as composers Olav Luksengård Mjelva, Jon Silpayamanant, Dominique Le Gendre and Stewart Copeland (founder and drummer of The Police). Debra is married to cellist, Robert Lynn. They reside in North Manchester, Indiana where they raised four offspring and are currently owned by two cats.

(260) 201-1010

robert@opera-today.com

Robert Bucher (he/him) is the Production Manager for Opera Today!, where he expertly manages the production and delivery of captivating opera content. In this role, Robert oversees production schedules, coordinates with creative teams and ensures top-notch quality in all aspects of each production.

In addition to his current role, Robert has a rich background in both arts and hospitality. He previously worked as a Concierge at Walt Disney World Resorts, where he provided exceptional guest services and crafted memorable experiences for visitors from around the globe. Robert’s leadership experience includes serving as Executive Director of the Warsaw Performing Arts Center, where he directed strategic operations and programming. He has also worked as a Talent Coordinator for the Honeywell Foundation in Wabash, IN. His extensive background includes roles such as President of the Manchester Symphony Society, where he guided the organization through significant growth, and Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for the Summit City Chorus, where he improved the chorus’s public visibility and engagement.

Outside of work, Robert enjoys camping, singing, and spending time with friends and family. These activities provide him with creative inspiration and a well-rounded perspective, enriching his approach to his professional roles.

Robert has assisted Debra Lynn as Production Manager for notable projects including The Sound of Music, 1776, and The Mikado. As a team, Robert and Debra complement one another and are committed to maintaining a constructive and positive atmosphere in rehearsals and on set.

Andrew Nesler (he/him) works closely with Opera Today!, not only as a collaborative pianist, but also as coordinator of all pianist scheduling for rehearsals, coachings, master classes, and community/educational outreach events. Andrew works alongside Debra and Robert during on-site auditions to ensure a smooth process and offer insight during the casting phase of production work.

Andrew has been a featured performer at international concert series and festivals, recently appearing at the Gene Marcus Piano Camp and Festival (Fort Wayne, IN, US), the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest (Reno, NV, US), The Exploratorium (San Francisco, CA, US), Penarth Chamber Music Festival (Penarth, UK), on live television for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World (Cardiff, UK), and Llandaff Cathedral (Llandaff, UK). Among awards he’s received are First Prize at the John Ireland Competition (Cardiff), Moving Classics TV’s “Composer of the Week” (Munich, Germany), and two First Prizes at the Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne Concerto Competition.

An ardent collaborator, he currently serves as Music Director for Transgress Opera (Cardiff), and has performed as a collaborative musician across the US and in Canada, Germany, Austria, Czechia, England, and Wales on projects including shadow puppetry, silent film, up to 24 pianists altogether at once, chamber music, piano duo, wind ensemble, and ballet. In Fort Wayne, he has worked closely with the Bach Collegium and Opera Today!, and has enjoyed giving community outreach performances in coordination with local organizations including Heartland Sings and the Honeywell Foundation.

From 2018 to 2021, Andrew co-authored and administered two music education curricula that reached over 1,000 young and disabled students in underserved areas in Fort Wayne. During his Masters studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, he developed a model for "Wild Music Pedagogy," in which students become advocates for themselves and others in their environment, drawing on anti-colonial, feminist, and eco-literate pedagogies. He is proud to be a Lecturer in Music at Purdue University Fort Wayne, a position he has held since 2024.

He holds a MMus (Distinction) in Piano Performance from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and a B.M. in Piano Performance from Purdue University Fort Wayne, having received scholarships to both institutions.