From Episcopal to the World Stage: A Homecoming at the Lindley Spaht Dodson Speaker Series

On April 16, Lisette returned to a place that shaped her at the very beginning — Episcopal School of Baton Rouge — as the featured guest of the Lindley Spaht Dodson Endowed Speaker Series. Three decades after attending Episcopal from fourth through seventh grade, she was welcomed back as a distinguished alumna to speak with the Lower, Middle, and Upper School divisions.

From the school choir to the Met

Lisette's earliest performances happened on Episcopal's stage. She played flute in the band, sang in choir, and took her first stage role as one of the seven children in the school's production of The Sound of Music. She specifically thanked the teachers who guided her in those formative years — David Galasso, Paul Taranto, Lorren McGee Rhea, and Tommy Rhea — and encouraged the students in the audience to take the lessons of their classrooms seriously, no matter the subject.

"Everything you learn here will stay with you forever."

What it takes to sing for a living

For the Middle and Upper School students, Lisette demonstrated the difference between a diffuse sound and a focused, projected one — the kind that has to fill a 4,000-seat opera house without a microphone. She talked about belonging, leadership, and service, and about how the discipline she learned at Episcopal carried directly into a career that has taken her to the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, the Wiener Staatsoper, the Opéra national de Paris, and the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden.

For the youngest audience: what do YOU love?

The Lower School session was a different animal entirely — cartoon characters, big colors, and questions designed to spark something in K–5 imaginations. Lisette walked them through what an opera singer actually does, why she started so young, and how the things they already love (a favorite song, a favorite book, a favorite art form) can grow into a life's work.

The advice she left them with

Across all three divisions, the message was consistent: stay true to what brings you joy, keep learning, never fear mistakes, hold tight to the things you love, and protect the healthy habits that everything else is built on.

"I went to school right here, and this is where I learned to sing."

The full presentation: From Episcopal to the World Stage

Click through the eighteen slides Lisette walked the students through — spanning Who Am I?, Who Are You?, and Who Are You Becoming?.

About Lindley Spaht Dodson

The speaker series is named for Lindley Spaht Dodson, an Episcopal alumna remembered for her talent and her passion for the performing arts. Her brother, Holden Spaht '92, has spoken about how the school's arts program gave Lindley the space to discover herself and inspire those around her toward excellence. The series celebrates that legacy by bringing alumni back to share what arts education made possible.

Heartfelt thanks to the Episcopal community, the Spaht and Dodson families, and every student who showed up with a question. Read the school's full write-up of the day on Episcopal's site. Event photographs courtesy of Episcopal School of Baton Rouge.