Caldwell, Sarah (1924-2006), was an American opera director and conductor. She founded the Opera Company of Boston in 1957 and served as its artistic director and frequently as its conductor until the company suspended operations in 1991.
Caldwell emphasized the dramatic elements in her productions, and many of her stagings included spectacular visual effects. She was also known for producing rarely performed operas or alternative versions of familiar works.
Caldwell was born on March 6, 1924, in Maryville, Missouri. She taught at the Berkshire Music Center from 1948 to 1952 and headed the Opera Workshop at Boston University from 1952 to 1960. Starting in the 1970’s, Caldwell was in great demand as a guest conductor. In 1976, she became the first woman to conduct at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.
From the late 1970’s to the early 2000’s, Caldwell often worked outside the United States. In the early 1990’s, she was named principal guest conductor of the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Orchestra in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where she served until 2001. In 1999, she joined the faculty at the University of Arkansas, where she supervised and expanded the opera theater program. Caldwell died on March 23, 2006.
