Artist managers play a crucial role in identifying and representing opera artists, but questions often remain about how the contemporary artist-manager relationship functions. Join us on Sunday, February 27 at 4pm EST for Generation NOW: Demystifying Artist Management as Founder and President of Stratagem Artists Justin Werner breaks down what you need to know about getting and retaining management as an opera artist. Admission is free, but registration is required.

Event accessibility: Automatic captioning provided; run time approximately 1 hour. A captioned video recording will be available on Opera NexGen's YouTube channel following the event.

More on Justin Werner

Founder and President, Stratagem Artists

Justin Werner is an operatic professional with extensive experience in production, education, and artist representation. Mr. Werner is the Founder and President of Stratagem Artists in 2018, which cultivates and represents a select roster of operatic artists through artist driven collaboration.

Between 2014-2018, Mr. Werner was a co-founder and artist manager at Couret & Werner (C&W) Artist Management. Mr. Werner gained his initial Artist Management experience at IMG Artists, where he served as an Artist Management intern.

Mr. Werner was the founder and Artistic Director of New York Opera Exchange (2011–2015), which afforded numerous opportunities for emerging singers, directors, and designers to mount critically acclaimed productions. According to Opera Today, "Artistic Director Justin Werner manages to infect others with his enthusiasm through sheer force of charisma and passion." Additionally, Mr. Werner founded the Independent Student Opera Initiative at Boston University.

A valued advisor for emerging artists, Mr. Werner is a frequent panelist for Opera America's Career Blueprints and Feedback Audition programs. He has presented masterclasses and workshops for institutions such as Emerging Leaders of New York Arts (ELNYA), Yale School of Music, the Stratford Summer Music Vocal Academy, Des Moines Metro Opera, the Glimmerglass Festival, Boston University, Fort Worth Opera / Texas Christian University, Oklahoma City University, the University of North Texas, the New York Opera Alliance, the University of Delaware, Opera NextGen and the Seagle Music Colony. In the spring of 2021, Mr. Werner joined the Atelier Lyrique at L’Opéra de Montréal and Mannes School of Music at The New School as an Artistic Advisor in Residence to the Mannes Opera where he will return for the 2021/2022 academic year.

In past seasons, Mr. Werner served on the adjudicating panels of the McCammon Vocal Competition, Talents of the World Annual Voice Competition, MetroWest Vocal Competition, CS Music Vocal Competition and Opera Ithaca Competition. In the spring of 2022, he will judge the finals of the Cooper-Bing Competition at Opera Columbus.

Mr. Werner earned his BM in Vocal Performance from Boston University and his Advanced Certificate in Vocal Performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. Mr. Werner is also proud to be the chair of the On Site Opera Artistic Advisory Council.

More Stratagem Artists

Founded by Justin Werner in 2018, Stratagem Artists is a boutique artist management company dedicated to representing a select roster of operatic artists. We take pride in introducing our clientele to the opera companies, orchestras, and concert organizations of North America and Europe.

Stratagem Artists provides the individual attention necessary to target each client's short-term and long-term professional goals. Our guidance touches upon repertoire advice, career development strategies, audition techniques, and the importance of constantly reaffirming relationships in today's fast-paced arts business world.

On the operatic stage, Stratagem Artists clients have appeared with:

Boston Lyric Opera, Dallas Opera, English National Opera, Houston Grand Opera Los Angeles Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Minnesota Opera, New York City Opera, On Site Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Palm Beach Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Portland Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, San Diego Opera, San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Seattle Opera, Teatro Carlo Felice, Teatro Regino Torino, Washington National Opera, and Welsh National Opera among many others.

Equally dedicated to symphonic organizations, Stratagem Artists clients have appeared with:

Atlanta Symphony, BBC London Symphony, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Liverpool Symphony, MidAmerica Productions at Carnegie Hall, Minnesota Orhestra, New York Festival of Song, New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Utah Symphony, and Virginia Symphony among many others.

Stratagem Artists was built upon the foundation of Couret & Werner (C&W) Artists Management (2014–2018).