ANASTASIA INNISS
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Visionary arts executive, cultural strategist and internationally active artist with over 25 years of experience spanning senior artistic administration and professional performance. Having worked concurrently as both a performing artist and an arts executive for the majority of her career, she brings a rare and highly unique dual perspective that is deeply interconnected and mutually transformative, informing her leadership, programming and organisational design. She has founded and led complex cultural organisations at the intersection of artistic excellence, organisational rigour, financial stability and public engagement.

Known for building sustainable infrastructures that support ambitious artistic work and advance equity-centred leadership, she integrates lived artistic experience with strategic and financial oversight to create institutions that are both creatively vibrant and structurally resilient. She moves seamlessly between macro-level strategy and hands-on operational delivery, working confidently with Boards and senior stakeholders while also leading teams in the day-to-day realities of production and programme implementation.

Production & administration: 
End-to-end production across opera, orchestras, festivals, and concert series, including artistic administration and on-the-ground operations
Finance & funding: 
Budgets, accounting, payroll, tax reporting, EU and local funding, grant proposals, reporting, fundraising, reinvesting, and partnerships.
Artistic planning & casting: 
Festivals, concert series, educational programmes, and vocal and instrumental programmes, tours, opera, theatre.
Recruitment & contracting : 
Artists, conductors, orchestral musicians, stage directors, technical staff, administrative teams, volunteers.
International network: 
Agencies, theatres, casting personnel, managers, festivals, and industry leaders across Europe, the UK, and the US.
Organisational development: 
Venue sourcing, contract negotiation, and the delivery of online, hybrid, and on-demand artistic content.
Policies & compliance: 
Codes of conduct, safeguarding policies, equal pay policies, panels on discrimination, and anti-discriminatory practices.
Education & outreach: 
Curricula, delivery models (in-person, online, on-demand), scholarships, and tuition-free programmes for under-represented artists.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

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FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
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An organisation providing high-quality, accessible, affordable online and on-demand continued education for professional singers, facilitating the development of the complete artist. 
Berlin, Germany | ​online
​WEBSITE
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FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
A highly intensive training program, currently in its 7th season, welcoming international singers and pianists, faculty members, a full orchestra, and production, tech and venue teams from over 30 countries. It consists of three modules running in parallel: full Wagner or Strauss, R. opera with orchestra, a Lieder Festival and Akademie, training and career module. The program is the only of its kind worldwide.

Berlin, Germany
​WEBSITE
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FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Festival de Ópera & Accademia Lanzarote was the first initiative of its kind on the Canary Islands, Spain. It was founded in 2022 in cooperation with the Lanzarote Ensemble Orchestra and Centro Insular de Enseñanzas Musicales (CIEM), and with the financial support of Centro de Arte, Cultura y Torismo Lanzarote (CACT). The program included two educational modules: a training and career module and a 6-concert festival at the UNESCO protected Jameos del Agua Auditorium. 
​Lanzarote, Spain
​WEBSITE
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EU LEADER
The largest North American publication for the vocal arts since the 1980s. CS Music publishes a quarterly printed magazine and releases a monthly online edition. It also produces an annual convention for the vocal arts, a competition and up to 6 panel auditions throughout the US and Europe. Classical Singer Magazine and Classical Singer Online
United States
WEBSITE
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DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS & INDUSTRY AUDITIONS
​The largest EU and US aggregator for opportunities in the classical vocal arts. The company produced a series of educational programs for opera singers produced in Berlin and taught by some of the leading names in opera today.
Berlin, Germany; London, United Kingdom; Stockholm, Sweden
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FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
The first art song festival in Berlin, Germany, with full-length programming and a series of fully-sponsored masterclasses. The festival used concert spaces where classical music is not traditionally performed. Programming included 6 main stage festival concerts as well as 5 full days of masterclasses culminating in a young artist concert.
Berlin, Germany
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EU DIRECTOR OF CONTENT & DATA
Leading provider of entertainment metadata, content IDs, and data analytics for music, video (movies/TV), and sports
Berlin, Germany

PRODUCTION, CASTING & DIRECTING

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PRODUCER & CASTING DIRECTOR
​Staged with orchestra performed in the Luisenkirche Grosser Sall, with a new reduced orchestration by Andrew McInness commissioned specifically for this production. 
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NIKOLOVA-WYMA GbR
Berlin, Germany
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PRODUCER & CASTING DIRECTOR
Staged with orchestra performed in the Luisenkirche Grosser Sall, with a new reduced orchestration by Andrew McInness commissioned specifically for this production. 
​NIKOLOVA-WYMA GbR
Berlin, Germany
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PRODUCER & CASTING DIRECTOR
Staged with orchestra performed in the Labsaal Alt-Lübars, with a reduced orchestration.
​NIKOLOVA-WYMA GbR
Berlin, Germany
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PRODUCER & CASTING DIRECTOR
Multi-media film of the full opera.
​​NIKOLOVA-WYMA GbR
online
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PRODUCER & CASTING DIRECTOR
Multi-media production of scenes from the opera.
​​NIKOLOVA-WYMA GbR
online
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PRODUCER & CASTING DIRECTOR
Staged with orchestra performed in the ballroom of the Stage-Factory Berlin.
​​NIKOLOVA-WYMA GbR
Berlin, Germany
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PRODUCER & ARRANGER
Folk songs have always been the true expression of a culture. Often heard in female voices, describing the realities and aspirations of women. This collection of folk songs from around the world arranged for voice and steel drum, introduces unexpected sonic, rhythmic and linguistic characteristics as well as a narrative of profoundly human experiences. 
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(World Premiere)
DEUTSCHER MUSIKRAT
​Berlin, Germany

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STAGE DIRECTOR & CASTING DIRECTOR
Full production with a band.
DIE ETAGE
Berlin, Germany
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PRODUCER
Theatre piece for soprano, piano and two actors written and directed by Gidon Saks. The piece explores the triangulation in the relationship between Gustav, Alma and Anna von Mildenburg through Mahler's Rückert Lieder. The piece is written and conceived for spaces where opera is traditionally not performed and for audiences new to opera.
(World Premiere)
BERLINER OPERNVEREIN
​Berlin, Germany
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PRODUCER
The first European chapter of the AIDS Quilt Songbook. ​Under the tutelage of Berliner Aids-hilfe e.V. - AIDS Quilt Songbook: German Edition
(World Premiere)
​Berlin, Germany
WEBSITE
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PRODUCER & ARRANGER
Pathologies of the Image, a multi-media sound Installation by Andrés Galeano commissioned by Grimmuseum Berlin.
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(World Premiere)
Berlin, Germany

EDUCATION

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VOICE PEDAGOGUE & MASTERCLASS PRESENTER
Voice studio and masterclass presenter working with a wide spectrum of voices.
Particularly adept at working with transgender voices and voices with complex landscape.

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VOICE PEDAGOGUE & STAGE DIRECTOR
A state-accredited private college for professional training in musical theatre, contemporary dance, acting and physical theatre.
Berlin, ​Germany
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ASSISTANT STAGE DIRECTOR & COSTUME DESIGNER
A private research university founded in 1852. 
Medford, Massachusetts, USA       
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ASSISTANT, HEAD OF VOICE DEPARTMENT
An innovative conservatory focused on preparing musicians for diverse careers by blending elite performance training with practical skills for the modern world
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA       

OUTREACH & ADVOCACY

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Produced and hosted fully sponsored masterclasses for 23 transgender artists from around the globe led by Dr. Stephanie Weiss. The masterclass series was produced by Anastasia Inniss and Julie Wyma with the generous financial support of NATS Valley of the Sun Chapter, Medical Voice Center Hamburg, Sarah Stephens (Stephens Nicholson Artists Management), Anonymous Sponsor and Opera Programs Berlin. 
session 1 | session 2 | session 3 | session 4
online
WEBSITE
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Virtual fundraising concert produced by Anastasia Inniss, Byron Knutson and Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler CoronaCare raising funds for students grossly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
WEBSITE
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Virtual fundraising concert produced by Anastasia Inniss and Seth Carico fundraising for the most vulnerable population touched during the COVID-19 pandemic - at risk children in precarious economic circumstances. 
​Berlin, ​Germany
WEBSITE
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Ageism’s seed is based in white supremacy and paternalism. What sprouts from that seed is exclusion and discrimination based on socio-economic disadvantages, race and gender. Our panel discusses how ageism affects all corners of the industry as well as how to level the playing field.
Anastasia Inniss (host), Alaysha Fox, Carol Mastrodomenico, Francesca Mondanaro, Andrea Nwoke, ​Jeremy Osborne, Rosalind Plowright, Stephen Reineke, Tichina Vaughn
Roundtable Panel Discussion
​online
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WEBSITE
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Germany is a great place for opera - it holds 51% of the world’s opera theaters and is a popular choice for any singer wanting to embark on a singing career. But what is it like singing here while Black? Our panel discusses their experiences as professional opera singers in Germany. ​
​Jeremy Osborne (host), Raehann Bryce-Davis, Leah Hawkins, Calvin Lee, Ronnita Miller, Chantale Nurse, Julius P Williams, III
​Roundtable Panel Discussion
online

​WEBSITE

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The challenges for singers of color have been much discussed and well-documented over the years. But the only way to affect real change is at the institutional level. Our panel of directors, conductors, casting directors/agents, and singers talk about how to shift the current paradigm towards complete diversity and inclusivity. ​
Jeremy Osborne (host), Jeremy Bines, 
Raehann Bryce-Davis, Kevin John Edusei, Byron Knutson, Leslie Kwan, Sarah Stephens, Stephanie Weiss, Melody Wilson
Roundtable Panel Discussion
​online

​WEBSITE

GRANTS & AWARDS

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Festival Grant
​Centro de Arte, Cultura y Turismo
​Lanzarote, Spain
Production Grant
​Dezentrale Kulturarbeit Reinickendorf Kunst
Berlin, Germany
Two New Project Grants
Neue Start Kultur
Deutscher Musikrat
​Nationwide, Germany
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 Scholarship recipient under the tutelage of Angelika Kirchschlager
Meisterklassen Gutenstein
​Gutenstein, Austria
Janet Irving Award for Vocal Studies
Long School of Music of Bard College
​Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
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©Anastasia Inniss 2016-2025. All Rights Reserved.
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