Maestra Casey Robards (Suh Jung Ahn) is a Korean American conductor and music director whose work has been seen throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America, South America, and Asia. Robards has worked with a broad range of opera companies, festivals, and producing organizations including Santa Fe Opera,  Kentucky Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Indianapolis Opera, New Orleans Opera, Opera Columbus, Soo Opera, El Paso Opera, South Bend Lyric Opera, and the Bay View Music Festival, where she worked for seventeen seasons.

Known for her collaborative leadership, stylistic range, and depth of experience with both singers and instrumentalists, Maestra Robards’ recent and upcoming repertoire includes productions of Le nozze di Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Lucia di Lammermoor, Carmen, La traviata, La bohème, Die Zauberflöte, Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica, Susannah, Three Decembers, Little Women (Adamo), Songbird, All is Calm, Bon Appétit, and the Afro-surrealist rock opera Water Riot in Beta, in addition to numerous other contemporary and newly composed works.

In parallel with her work as a conductor, Robards is an accomplished pianist and vocal coach, widely recognized for her deep engagement with music by Black composers, with particular emphasis on Negro spirituals and American music genres. Her work in this repertoire—grounded in historical knowledge, stylistic integrity, and close collaboration with singers—has shaped nationally presented projects including Narrative of a Slave Woman, Songs of Love and Justice, and Toward Justice and Shared Humanity. She has collaborated extensively with artists such as Karen Slack, Kenneth Overton, LaToya Lain, Ollie Watts Davis, and Angelique Clay, in recitals, recordings, and curated concert programs presented throughout the United States and internationally.

Recent albums include What Dreams We Have with Kenneth Overton (Lexicon Classics) and Contemplations with Bernhard Scully (Navona Records). Upcoming recording projects include conducting Jack Perla and Jessica Murphy Moo’s chamber opera, An American Dream and a CD with Ensemble Concept 21, the contemporary chamber music group which Robards joined as Artistic Director in 2023. Dr. Robards has served on the faculty of Indiana University, Oberlin Conservatory and Central Michigan University, and currently serves as Asst. Prof. of Lyric Theatre at the University of Illinois.