Michael Dellaira has earned a considerable reputation for his series of operas, of which the latest to be recorded is The Leopard. The libretto, by the distinguished poet J.D. McClatchy, is drawn from the 1958 novel written by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. It charts social and political upheavals during the Italian Risorgimento and, as the young idealist Tancredi tells his uncle, the Prince of Salina, ‘If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.’ The opera’s premiere, conducted by Gerard Schwarz, was exceptionally well received and described by Opera Magazine as ‘superbly crafted.’

Conductor Gerard Schwarz has won eight Emmy Awards and received fourteen Grammy nominations.

In 2017 The Gerard Schwarz Collection, a 30-disc boxed set set of previously unreleased or limited-release works spanning his entire recording career, was released by Naxos (8503294).

Cast:
- Don Fabrizio Corbera: Kim Josephson (baritone)
- Stella, Princess of Salina: Robynne Redmon (mezzo-soprano)
- Father Pirrone: Frank Ragsdale (tenor)
- Cavaliere Chevalley di Monterzuolo: Kevin Short (bass-baritone)
- Tancredi Falconieri: Minghao Liu (tenor)
- Concetta: Margarita Parsamyan (soprano)
- Angelica: Yaqi Yang (soprano)