SAN DIEGO – San Diego Opera has announced the appointment of David Bennett as the company’s new general director. Bennett is the former executive director of Gotham Chamber Opera, a New York City based opera company which has made its mark in the international arts community by presenting fully staged productions, from the Baroque era to the present, in unexpected and intimate venues. With Bennett at the helm, San Diego Opera will continue to produce grand-style opera from the popular repertoire at the Civic Theatre while diversifying its offering with unexpected works in venues unique to the San Diego region.
“After an exhaustive search from an incredible pool of well qualified candidates, the Board decided overwhelmingly to select David Bennett as the company’s new general director,” shares San Diego Opera Board President Carol Lazier. “David met all of the criteria we were looking for and his artistic strength, infectious love of opera, creativity, vision and collaborative nature was the course we wanted to set for the future of our Company. David’s commitment to diverse audiences and his intrinsic curiosity to find out what makes San Diego so unique was compelling to us. With David at the helm we are confident that San Diego Opera will become the opera company this city wants and deserves.”
Bennett joined the Gotham Chamber Opera in 2006 and tripled the Company’s operating budget while increasing the number of annual productions from one to four. The company recently commissioned the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s opera “Dark Sisters” and has become recognized under Bennett’s leadership for partnering with notable New York and national institutions. Recent productions and partnerships include collaborations with the Arms and Armor Court of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a double billing of Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda /I Have No Stories to Tell You, and a collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History and the American Repertory Theater for a production of Hadyn’s Il mondo della luna which featured lunar exploration video developed by the Museum and NASA and broadcast on the Hayden Planetarium’s 180-degree dome. Bennett managed all areas of the Gotham Chamber Opera including Artistic, Development, Finance, Marketing and Production. As general director of San Diego Opera he will continue to be in charge of all of these departments with his primary focus on the artistic development of the Company.
“David Bennett has emerged in recent years as one of the most creative, energetic and effective opera leaders in the country,” shares Marc Scorca, president and CEO of OPERA America. “His work at Gotham Chamber Opera is a reference point for the entire field in terms of repertoire diversity, innovative productions and groundbreaking partnerships with other cultural institutions. He will approach his work in San Diego with a deep respect for the standard repertoire and a sense of adventure that will add dimension to the company’s offerings and win new audiences for the company.”
A singer (baritone) with an M.B.A. and an M.A. in Arts Administration from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Bennett was the managing director of Dance New Amsterdam, Inc. in New York City prior to joining Gotham Chamber Opera. In this role he managed the company’s operations and oversaw the company’s $5.7 million capital campaign.
The appointment of Bennett to the position of general director makes him the fourth leader of San Diego Opera, which is currently celebrating its 50th Anniversary with performances of John Adams’s Nixon in China. He succeeds former General Director Ian Campbell (1983 – 2014), Tito Capobianco (1976 – 1983), and company founder Walter Herbert (1950 – 1973).
“For 50 years, San Diego Opera has been a leader in the American opera industry, with a long history of artistic achievement and excellence,” shares Bennett. “I am eager to work with the Board, the staff, and the rich artistic community to build upon the company’s tradition of presenting grand opera, while exploring new ways to increase its impact within the San Diego region and beyond.”
David Bennett joined the Gotham Chamber Opera as Managing Director in July, 2006 and was named executive director in May, 2010. He came to Gotham from Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), Lower Manhattan’s center for dance education, creation, and performance, where he served as managing director. While at DNA, he led a $5.7 million capital campaign for DNA’s new home and oversaw the organization’s emergence as a significant producer of modern dance in New York City. Prior to DNA, Bennett was a Senior Consultant with Arts Resources International, where he provided a range of advisory services to non-profit arts organizations, including project feasibility studies, financial operating estimates, economic impact and market analyses, and fund-raising feasibility studies. Before working in Arts Administration, he enjoyed a successful career in opera, appearing as a baritone with a number of companies and orchestras throughout the United States, including The Dallas Opera, the Dallas Symphony, Skylight Opera Theater, and Florentine Opera of Milwaukee. Bennett holds both an M.B.A. and an M.A. in Arts Administration from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX and is vice-chair of the Board of Directors of OPERA America.
