With a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, soprano Mary Dunleavy continues to win critical and popular recognition with opera companies in the United States and around the world. In recent seasons, Mary has turned her attention to the work of contemporary composers and librettists. She created the role of Isabella Stewart Gardner in Damien Geter and Lila Palmer’s full version of American Apollo for Des Moines Metro Opera, where she also appeared in the same role in the company’s earlier chamber version. She recently returned to Austin Opera — the company where she made her professional debut in 1989 as a graduate student at The University of Texas — as Eleanor Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate. She also created the role of Millicent Jordan in William Bolcom and Mark Campbell’s Dinner at Eight (Minnesota Opera, Wexford Festival Opera) and bowed as the Stepmother in Alma Deutscher’s Cinderella (Opera San José on Sony Classical DVD).