David Bennett (opera director)

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David Bennett
Bornc. 1963 (age 58–59)
Kansas City, Missouri
NationalityAmerican
OccupationOpera singer and director
Known forGeneral director of San Diego Opera

David Bennett (born c. 1963) is the general director of the San Diego Opera. Prior to that he was the executive director of Gotham Chamber Opera. He began his opera career as a singer, performing as a baritone for multiple companies.

Contents

Early life and education

Bennett was born in Kansas City, Missouri. [1] His mother was a pianist and piano teacher, and his brother is a jazz trumpeter. He began singing and acting in high school and began to focus on opera in college. [2] He earned a degree in music from Texas Christian University. He has Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts Administration degrees from Southern Methodist University. [3]

Career

A baritone, he performed as an opera singer for more than a decade, with appearances at the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Symphony, Skylight Opera Theater, and Florentine Opera of Milwaukee, among others. [4]

He then moved into management. He served as a consultant to Arts Resources International, then became managing director of Dance New Amsterdam in New York City. [4] In 2006 he went to work for the Gotham Chamber Opera as managing director and was named executive director in 2010. [5] He was regarded as an innovator, broadening the company's repertoire and presenting productions in unorthodox venues. During his tenure the company's operating budget tripled and the number of fully staged productions grew from one to four per season. [6] However, after his departure the Chamber Opera was discovered to be deeply in debt, and it went out of business in 2015. [7]

He has also served as vice chair of Opera America. [4] Marc Scorca, president and CEO of Opera America, described him as "one of the most creative, energetic and effective opera leaders in the country". [8]

In March 2015 the San Diego Opera announced his hiring as general director, replacing Ian Campbell, who left in May 2014 after unsuccessfully proposing a controversial shutdown of the opera company. [9] Bennett is the fourth general director in the company's 50-year history. [8] Assuming San Diego Opera's leadership in 2015 after its near-death experience, he was "tasked with downsizing and reimagining the company for 21st century audiences." [10] Under his supervision the company's budget was cut from $18 million in 2014 to $10 million in 2018. There are three traditional opera productions each year, along with a "Detour series" of smaller, more innovative works and increased community outreach programs. In 2018 the board of directors renewed his three-year contract for another three years, with the board chairman commenting, "David is clearly the leader San Diego Opera needs at this point in time." [10]

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References

  1. ↑ Ng, David (March 11, 2015). "San Diego Opera hires David Bennett as new general director". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  2. ↑ Zaragosa, Alex (July 14, 2015). "Meet the Man at the Helm of San Diego Opera's Righted Ship". Voice of San Diego. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  3. ↑ Chute, James (March 10, 2015). "David Bennett to lead San Diego Opera". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "General Director: David Bennett". San Diego Opera. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  5. ↑ Cooper, Michael (March 11, 2015). "San Diego Opera Names New Director". New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  6. ↑ "David Bennett, Former Executive Director of Gotham Chamber Opera, Appointed General Director of San Diego Opera". Opera News. March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  7. ↑ Harris, Garrett (December 2, 2015). "San Diego Opera stands by its man". San Diego Reader. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  8. 1 2 "San Diego Opera names David Bennett as new general director". LGBT Weekly. March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  9. ↑ Ng, David, "San Diego Opera officially parts ways with director Ian Campbell", Los Angeles Times, May 15, 2014
  10. 1 2 Kragen, Pam (July 15, 2018). "Four years later, downsized San Diego Opera is stable, growing". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
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