queerPOPERA
We are a pop-up opera company dedicated to showcasing the diverse narratives of the LGBTQ+ community through the emotive power of opera, here in the Heartland
OUR MISSION /
queerPOPERA is a vibrant pop-up opera company dedicated to showcasing the diverse narratives of the LGBTQ+ community through the emotive power of opera, here in the Heartland. We are committed to creating opportunities for queer representation in opera and cultivating environments for creative liberation for LGBTQ+ people in the Midwest—where access to affirming, expressive artistic spaces is often limited.
With deep appreciation for the rich history of queerness in opera, we acknowledge the historical exclusion and discrimination faced by individuals of diverse identities within the industry. Our mission is to actively rectify these injustices by creating a space that embraces and celebrates the full spectrum of gender identities and sexual orientations. Through our performances, we reimagine traditional stories through a modern, inclusive lens. We are committed to challenging systemic barriers, fostering diversity in casting and production teams, and advocating for equity and inclusion within the opera community.
Together, we strive to spread queer joy and empowerment through opera!
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Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether through donations, words, time, or performances—you are the reason queerPOPERA exists.
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QUEER HOMECOMING
Presented in Partnership with Decorah PRIDE
This fall, queerPOPERA invites you to Queer Homecoming—a vibrant celebration of community, identity, and the radical joy of coming together through opera. Join us at the historic Steyer Opera House in Decorah for an unforgettable evening of reimagined operatic performance, heartfelt storytelling, and unapologetic queer celebration.
Set in the historic Steyer Opera House, the evening features collaborations with local, queer-owned businesses: pride-themed florals by Oak and Olive and a delicious dinner from Blazing Star. The concert is followed by live music by Driftless Jazz and the Homecoming Dance! Dress fairly formal, fabulous, and fully you.
The event is directed by Paige Cameron (Assistant Director at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Directing Fellow at Opera Saratoga), bringing a bold and fresh vision to this unforgettable celebration. Founded by Jaime Webb, queerPOPERA’s General Director, the company exists to showcase the diverse narratives of the LGBTQ+ community through the emotive power of opera—right here in the Heartland.
Whether you're returning to opera or discovering it for the first time—this is your homecoming.
Who are you going to ask to QUEER HOMECOMING?!?!
October 10 · 7:00 PM
Steyer Opera House · Decorah, IA
AUDITIONS /
queerPOPERA CORE ARTISTS
To audition to be a queerPOPERA Core Artist, email the following to info@queerpop.org
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resume and headshot
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two contrasting videos
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a short paragraph about why singing queer storylines is important for you as an opera singer
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis
queerPOPERA Partnerships /
with an Opera Company
Example: You have a queer storyline featured in your upcoming season and want to make sure your marketing and production isn’t performative, but rather highlights queer voices.
The options are endless, but you could hire us for the following:
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Connect with your local community and collaborate with local organizations to make sure queer people feel invited and welcome to the production.
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Observe rehearsals to make sure the authentic queer experience is shared on stage.
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Talk with donors or patrons that may feel uncomfortable about the subject matter and share why telling these stories is consistent with the history of opera.
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Give a talk at a promotional event.
Are you an Opera Company that wants to tell more queer stories, highlight queer voices, or connect with your queer community? Partner with us!
Do you see a need for more queer stories in your community? Partner with us!
We can hire queer performers and program a concert or production based on your needs and goals.
queerPOPERA Partnerships /
with a Community Organization
Example: You have a festival coming up and want a fantastic final performance to wrap up the celebration. You have a vision for a collaboration across different artistic mediums drawing in a diverse audience –drag queens, pop singers, slam poets, opera singers, dancers and more! With an event of this scale, you want to work with a team to make it happen. We can collaborate to make your dreams a reality!
One of the joys of queerPOPERA is that we are not location specific. If you see a need in your community, we can collaborate with you. We want to take down any barriers companies and organizations may have to telling queer, operatic stories. Let us bridge the gap.
Submit your proposal now!
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MEET OUR FOUNDER / DIRECTOR
Jaime Marie Webb, soprano, has captivated audiences across the U.S. and internationally with her “clarity and controlled power.” Praised for her “nuances, high notes, and scales,” she creates “emotional moments that underscore the drama” (Periódico Noroeste).
Webb’s performance career spans regional, national, and international stages, from the Orpheum Theater in Omaha, Nebraska, the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Hilo Palace Theater on Hawaiʻi’s Big Island to Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, and abroad to the Teatro Ángela Peralta in Mazatlán, the Teatro Ocampo in Morelia, the Landeskrankenhaus Kirche in Graz, Austria, and Salle Gaveau in Paris.
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Her full operatic roles span a wide range of lyric coloratura repertoire, including Violetta (La traviata), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Norina (Don Pasquale), Musetta (La bohème), Hanna Glawari (Die lustige Witwe), and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro). In concert performance, Webb has also interpreted Manon (Manon), Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), the Controller (Flight), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Cunégonde (Candide), and Lakmé (Lakmé). Her musical theater repertoire in concert includes Baroness Elsa (The Sound of Music), Philia (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), Marian (The Music Man), Christine Daaé (The Phantom of the Opera), Jane Doe (Ride the Cyclone) and Girl in 14G. She has performed with esteemed companies and festivals such as Cedar Rapids Opera, Opera Omaha, Escenia Ensamble, Annapolis Opera, Charlottesville Opera, the International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia, Opera at Florham, AIMS in Graz, and the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival.
Passionate about inclusivity in operatic storytelling, Webb founded QueerPopera, a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying LGBTQ+ narratives through opera, particularly in the Midwest of the United States, where affirming artistic spaces can be limited. Through this work, she creates platforms for queer artists to tell their stories boldly and for audiences to experience opera’s emotive power as a force for connection and belonging. Rooted in opera’s deeply queer history and her own longing for greater representation, this mission extends into authorship. In collaboration with her mother, Reverend Kari Webb, she is co-librettist of A Bridge Between, an opera exploring the tensions and tenderness between a queer daughter and her deeply religious mother. The work seeks to bridge divides of belief and identity, demonstrating how deeply personal stories can resonate across communities and foster empathy.
A dedicated concert artist and advocate for new music and women composers, Webb collaborated with the Lied Center for Performing Arts in a tribute concert for Justice Ginsburg featuring works by and interviews with Patricia Michaels, Stacy Garrop, Vivian Fung, and Lori Laitman. She has premiered dozens of new works, including thirteen songs for Opera Omaha’s Poetry & Music Project, the world premiere of Dave Gardner’s "Chorus of Psalms," and several works by Alexis C. Lamb and Brooke Joyce.
Webb is a former Holland Community Opera Fellow at Opera Omaha, Ader Emerging Artist with Charlottesville Opera, and Dr. Carl S. Hoveland Opera Fellow at The University of Georgia Opera Theater. She currently studies with internationally renowned soprano and pedagogue Julia Faulkner, Director of Vocal Studies at the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center.
Currently, Webb serves on the Voice Faculty at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where she lives with her wife, Ali Webb, and dog, Gigi.