Our Team
As is our mission, the Arizona Opera staff strives to elevate the transformative power of storytelling through the music—cultivating community, strengthening a state and people as adventurous and diverse as the place they call home.
Arizona Opera Staff
Joseph Specter, President & General Director
Artistic
Aaron Grant, Director of Artistic Operations and the Pullin Opera Studio
Katherine Kozak, Head of Music, Chorus Master, and Principal Coach of the Pullin Opera Studio
Cody Steele, Associate Artistic Administrator
Shawn Campbell, Orchestra Manager
Laura Tagawa, Orchestra Librarian
Box Office
Peter Hiebert, Box Office Manager
Alexsandra Esposito, Box Office Associate
Community Engagement and Education
Cassie Hollerbach, Director of Education and Community Engagement
Costume Shop
Kathleen Trott, Costume Shop Manager
Katie Kenna, Lead Cutter/Draper
Becky Giblin, Master Stitcher
Shelby Joiner, First Hand & Painter/Dyer
Emily Stovall, Workroom Assistant & Costume Rentals
Cody Grasher, Staff Stitcher
Kayla Zeimet, Journeyman Apprentice (Wardrobe)
Koleton Cox, Wig & Costume Apprentice II
Tenaya Tidwell, Costume Apprentice II
April Maytorena, Costume Apprentice I
Kenzie Laughlin, Costume Apprentice I
Development
Ashley Parks, Director of Development
Michael Hoke, Associate Director of Development
Abigail Brow, Individual Giving Manager
Molly Flores, Institutional Relations & Sponsorship Manager
Finance and Administration
Joann Serra, Director of Finance, Administration, & HR
Iryna Comstock, Accounting Associate
Marketing
Heidi Kelley, Director of Marketing, Communications, & Public Relations
Ellen Hinkle, Associate Director of Marketing, Communications, & Public Relations
John McCoy, Marketing Manager
Production
Clayton Rodney, Director of Production
Alanna Maniscalco, Properties Supervisor
Bradley Taylor, Production Manager and Lighting Supervisor
Robert Auchter, Production Coordinator and Supertitle Cuer
Noah Dettman, Sound Supervisor
Production Stage Crew
Margaret Soland, Production Electrician
Kristopher Medrano, Assistant Production Electrician
Connor Greene, Programmer
Randall Huot, Head of Audio
Scenic Shop
Ryan Bruner, Head Carpenter and Scenic Shop Manager
Robert Bruner, Steward & Lead Carpenter
Raz Vela, Metalwork
Craig Cheply, Head Scenic Artist
Marisa McGuire, Scenic Artist
Jeff Slim, Scenic Artist
Stage Management
Luci Burdick, Stage Manager
Dustin West, Stage Manager: The Sound of Music
Megan Ross, Assistant Stage Manager
Chris Colbourn, Assistant Stage Manager
Therese Cudmore, Apprentice Assistant Stage Manager
Wigs and Makeup
Alita Lopez, Wig & Makeup Manager
Arizona Opera Orchestra
Violin 1
Ikuko Kanda, Concertmaster
Linda Lambie, Assistant Concertmaster
Galina Sukhina
Mutsuko Tatman
Dasha Hlavenka
Hisami Iijima Dillard
Carla Kountoupes
Jisu Choi
Violin 2
Cynthia Baker, Principal
Helga Kolosick, Assistant Principal
Priscilla Benitez
Richard Hoffman
Laura Tagawa
Tamara Freida
Grave Wills
Luke Hill
Viola
Christina Beasley, Principal
Vivi Erickson, Assistant Principal
Caroline Ruiz
Katherine Shields
Jeffrey Norman
Monica MacMichael
Cello
Debra Pearson, Principal
Mary DiBartolo, Assistant Principal
Margaret Gilmore
Tom Hoisch
Abe Liebhaber
Yeil Park
Bass
Chunyang Wang, Principal
Claudia Botterweg, Assistant Principal
Derek DeVelder
Jason Roederer
Harp
Lynn Gorman DeVelder, Principal
Flute
Paula Redinger, Principal
Melanie Winans
Oboe
Neil Tatman, Principal
Scott Morano
Clarinet
Brian Viliunas, Principal
Marianne Shifrin
Bassoon
Melanie Sanguinetti, Principal
Jill Marderness
Horn
Peter Erb, Principal
Nathan Mitchell
Bruce Hembd
Shawn Campbell
Trumpet
James Benitez, Co-Principal
Leslie Linn, Co-Principal
Trombone
Martin Demos, Principal
Michael Becker
Grant Jordan
Tuba
Steve Mapes, Principal
Timpani
Neil Dunn, Principal
Percussion
Corey Ritter, Principal