About Us

What is Once Upon An Opera?

 Our Mission is to ignite a passion for classical music and promote intellectual development through the literary arts.

Not only does our work create an educationally-based literacy connection through music, but it also develops an awareness of the rich complexity of the performing arts, specifically opera, in children from an early age. 

Who are we?

We are a group of very interesting people!!

 VIRGINIA LANDIS STEWART- Creator ofOnce Upon An Opera and Music Director
 Virginia foundedONCE UPON AN OPERA™in 2008 with the mission to ignite a passion in children for classical music and to promote their intellectual development   through the literary arts.  

A long-time resident of Los Angeles, Virginia is originally from Michigan where she attended Interlochen Arts Academy and the University of Michigan School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance (opera).   She performed in a series of concerts throughout Europe as a vocal soloist alongside organist Marilyn Mason and in New York City Virginia premiered lead roles in such Off-Broadway musicals as The Great Gatsby; It's A Wonderful Life; Little Women; Under Your Pillow and Pinafore in Blue.   In Los Angeles she has sung lead operatic roles with The Los Angles Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Los Angeles, Casa Italiana Opera Company, Repertory Opera of LA, and El Dorado Opera.

Education, music and autism-related causes have always been close to her heart as evidenced by her lifelong history of volunteering at hospitals, schools, churches and organizations serving children and adults with special needs. Currently she serves on the Board of Directors of Rockwood Farm, a non-profit rural enrichment and living option for adults with autism.   In addition to writing operas, Virginia teaches individual and group classes in voice, piano and strings.    She is married to Alex Britton and they are the proud parents of five daughters (her two oldest, Zoe and Reese, are featured on the recording of THE THREE PIGGY OPERA!). 

ALEX BRITTON – Artistic Director

A native of Medellin, Colombia, Alex Britton has produced, designed, performed and directed over 300 operas over the course of 20 years.  His international studies and performances have taken him to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and Colombia.  In 2004 he was Vice President/Co-Producer and Technical Director of Chelsea Opera NY.  In 2005 with his beloved late father, Dr. Augusto Britton and sister Mavis B. Cordero, he launched El Dorado Opera and continues to serve as its Artistic Director and President in Southern California. 

Alex created and produced The Sevilla Project - an El Dorado Opera proprietary concept which entails translating into Spanish the most famous operas of the standard repertoire which were set in the city of Seville, Spain in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Alex has also had an impressive operatic performance career and his leading operatic roles have included Figaro and Il Conte in Le Nozze di Figaro; Giorgio Germont in La Traviata;  Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors;  Leporello and Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni;  the Father in Hansel and Gretel; the title role in Don Pasquale; Tonio in Pagliacci;  Iago in Otello; Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, the title role in Gianni Schicchi;  Pizzaro in Fidelio and Count Di Luna in Il Trovatore.  He has sung leading roles with Opera Salamanca, Spain; Aspen Opera Theatre; Regina Opera, Brooklyn; Teatro de las Artes in Medellin, Colombia; Il Piccolo Teatro dell' Opera, Brooklyn; Brooklyn Academy of Music; Chelsea Opera, NY; One World Symphony, NY; Bronx Symphony,  New Jersey City University Theater;  West Bay Opera, CA; Center Stage Opera, CA.    The Los Angeles Times has said: "Kudos to the passionate, powerful vocal delivery of Alex Britton" 

MAVIS B. CORDERO – Executive Producer

Mavis Cordero has enjoyed  a dynamic 25-year career as a producer of operas, concerts, and television commercials.  She immigrated from Colombia to the U.S. with her family when she was six years old.  Ms. Cordero was Co-founder and Managing Partner of Muse Cordero Chen, Inc., an award-winning multicultural ad agency which produced commercials in seven languages for clients including Honda, Nike, Snapple and Goodyear.  She has co-created, directed and produced large-venue concerts at such renowned theaters such as the Shrine Auditorium, UCLA's Royce Hall, and the Crystal Cathedral.  Ms. Cordero is a trained soprano with signficant performance experience.  Along with her brother, Alex Britton, Ms. Cordero launched El Dorado Opera in December, 2005, after the English/Spanish production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, followed by three more operas in the company's 2006/2007 season.

RAUL FERRANDO - Producer

Born in Argentina, Raul has been in the Los Angeles music scene for over 25 years. Fluent in a diverse palette of styles including orchestral-inspirational, World (Africa, Middle East & Sufi music), as well os Pop. His musical persona has latin american influences and a delightful fusion of different streams that, when combined, seem to run together in an organized chaos; marrying today’s technology with traditional  and even ancient instruments in a striking seamless, yet emotionally involving experience that touches the soul and the heart.

JONATHAN SHARP – Stage Director and Producer 

Jonathan received his dance training at the School of American Ballet which is the official school of the New York City Ballet. He danced professionally with the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Boston Ballet. He has also been in the original casts of five Broadway shows: as Ivan Boleslavski in The Red Shoes, as the Fairground Boy in the Tony Award-winning revival of Carousel (Lincoln Center), as Phantom, Fran N. Furter and Rocky in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as the Mirror in The Dance of the Vampires, and as both Sasha and Fyedka in the Tony Award-nominated revival of Fiddler on the Roof. His television credits include a contract role on “Another World” and guest-starring roles on “Gilmore Girls,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Jack and Jill,” and “The Cosby Mysteries.” Recent performances in LA include Tannhauser and The Merry Widow with the LA Opera, the Pasadena Playhouse revival of Can-Can and the Reprise! production of On Your Toes

Once Upon an Opera is a Division of El Dorado Opera, Inc.; a California 501c3 Non Profit Public Benefit Corporation.