Matt Marco is a conductor, coach, and collaborative pianist in Buffalo, NY, where he serves as Artistic Director of Buffalo Opera Unlimited. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University at Buffalo, teaching courses in musicianship, coaching, and music directing all curricular musicals. During the 25-26 season he will premiere two new operas: Michael Ching’s Cinderella’sRoyal Feast with Savannah VOICE Festival and Susan Kander/Roberta Gumbel’s Carry My Own Suitcase with BOU. In addition to opera and musical theater, he enjoys regular performances with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, including the 2022 Carnegie Hall tour, 2019 Florida tour, Grammy-nominated and -winning recordings, and concerts on both the classics and pops series.

Mr. Marco has also performed with Amarillo Opera (TX), the Center for Contemporary Opera (NY), Civic Morning Musicals (Syracuse, NY), GALA Choruses (Minneapolis, MN), the National Choral Festival (Carnegie Hall, NY), Opera Tampa (FL), and the Savannah VOICE Festival (GA). Locally, he has held conducting and coaching positions with Nickel City Opera, Starring Buffalo, the Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra, the Hillman Opera Company, and Opera-Lytes. For eleven years, he was the accompanist of the Buffalo Master Chorale, and has performed with the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus, the Buffalo Chamber Players, Friends of Vienna, and the Western New York Chamber Orchestra.

Mr. Marco studied piano with Anne Kissel and François Germain and conducting with Paul Ferington and Brian Doyle.

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Stephanie Riso returned home to Buffalo in 2019 after spending 30 years in Pittsburgh, PA where she attended Carnegie Mellon University for vocal performance and started three non-profit initiatives in theatre and music. Riso's background spans on-stage performing as well as behind the scenes administration, operations, and management. She is pleased to lend her bookkeeping and business management skills to BOU. 

Tim Kennedy, founder and artistic director emeritus of Buffalo Opera Unlimited, directed and conducted a majority of BOU’s productions for 37 years. His career has included teaching music at the elementary, high school, and college levels; performing as a singer (including roles with Greater Buffalo Opera Company) and as an actor; working as the theatre director at the African American Cultural Center; directing church and community choirs; giving private voice lessons.  He studied at the Philadelphia Musical Academy and earned a master’s degree in music and theatre from SUNY Buffalo.

Ellen Kennedy served as treasurer and board member of BOU for nearly four decades.  Associate professor emerita of social work at Buffalo State, she holds a master’s degree in social work from the University at Buffalo and served as chair of Buffalo State’s Social Work Department. Co-author of a book on child welfare, she served on the board of Child and Family Services. She was also one of the founders of Citizen Action of WNY, a longtime member of the Coalition of Economic Justice, and once ran for Congress.  She served for two years as a missionary in Honduras and is an elder at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

The Kennedys were honored at BOU’s 40th Anniversary Celebration with the inaugural “Founders’ Award,” in recognition of their leadership of BOU for nearly four decades.