Laura Wigginton (Education Program Director)
A native of the Hampton Roads area, Ms. Wigginton completed her MFA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a B.S. in Theatre from Radford University.  Before joining the education department at Virginia Opera in 2005, Ms. Wigginton worked with numerous arts organizations including PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, The Lost Colony Symphonic Drama in Manteo, North Carolina, and the Virginia Stage Company in Norfolk. She also enjoyed a brief stint in television working at Suffolk’s New Dominion Pictures on the series The New Detectives, The Prosecutors, and the FBI Files. Ms. Wigginton also serves as administrator of the newly organized Speak Partnership for the BrightLights Education Initiative at Richmond CenterStage.

 Glenn Winters (Community Outreach Musical Director)
Dr. Winters received his Doctor of Music from Northwestern University and his B.M. and M.M. in piano performance from Indiana University. His background includes teaching college-level piano, arts administration at two universities, and extensive performing experience as solo pianist and accompanist.  As an operatic baritone, Dr. Winters has sung over a dozen principal roles, including guest appearances with the Operafestival di Roma in Rome, Italy, where he has also served as Chorus Master and Stage Director.  A published composer of many instrumental and vocal works, he has composed two operas for children on commission for Virginia Opera’s Education Department. One of these, Tales From the Brothers Grimm, was revived for the Fall, 2010 touring season. He joined Virginia Opera’s Education and Audience Development department in 2004 as Community Outreach Musical Director. Opera attendees always learn more at Glenn Winters' pre-opera discussions 45 minutes before every Virginia Opera mainstage performance. The pre-opera discussions are free to ticket holders.

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Candy Leibundguth (Education Special Projects Coordinator)
Mrs. Leibundguth is a former music teacher and singer who has worked with the Education Department of Virginia Opera since 1993. She graduated from Douglass College of Rutgers University in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music. As a member of the Education Department, Candy wrote the original children's opera programs Freedom's Journey, The New Adventures of Alice in Opera Land, and Highlights of Porgy and Bess. In 1996, she developed Virginia Opera's Adopt-a-School Program originating in Hampton Roads and expanded to Richmond and Northern Virginia. Additionally, Candy has produced numerous teacher resource materials and study guides, prepared training classes for Virginia Opera Docents, and written articles for Virginia Opera's magazine, Opera Voice.