Biography: Diana Cayler-Ellis is a mezzo-soprano, stage director, and educator with experience in opera, musical theatre, Shakespeare, and classical vocal music. She performed with Opera Idaho for five seasons as a Resident Company Artist and also served as the company’s Production Manager, coordinating the technical and artistic aspects of productions. In addition to her solo work, Diana has a lifelong background in choral music, having performed in university, community, and honor choirs under the direction of renowned conductors such as Weston Noble, Eph Ehly, Anton Armstrong, and Vijay Singh. An alumna of Northwest Nazarene University, she has been active in community theatre for over two decades and recently appeared as the Mother Abbess in NNU’s 2023 production of The Sound of Music. She has taught private voice, elementary music, and led church music ministries in the Treasure Valley. Diana currently teaches private voice at NNU and will serve as stage director for the university’s fall opera production. She is passionate about helping students grow in both skill and confidence through the performing arts.