In July, Arizona Opera announced that its president and general director, Joseph Specter, will conclude his tenure with the company at the end of this fiscal year when his current contract expires, June 30, 2025. Specter is entering his ninth year with the organization and will begin to implement a newly adopted strategic plan and launch the company’s 2024-25 season.
The new strategy includes the “Beyond Downtown” program, part of the McDougall RED Series, that will take opera outside its traditional venues and into the broader Arizona community. The new programming will launch this fall with the company’s series of in-theater productions beginning in January 2025 and continuing into the fall. The season’s in-theater productions include classics “La Bohème” and “Aida,” as well as the Arizona premiere of the adventure opera “Zorro.” The season will also feature the expansion of Arizona Opera’s annual Tucson recital program into the Phoenix metro area, and the continuation of the company’s statewide education programs.
The company’s board of directors is engaging national search firm Catherine French Group to begin the search for new leadership. Learn more at www.azopera.org.
