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
Zackery Hayhurst, Director of Artistic Administration
Christopher Cano, Head of Music & Director, Marion Roose Pullin Opera Studio
Cody Steele, Company Manager
Shawn Campbell, Orchestra Manager
Laura Tagawa, Orchestra Librarian
Box Office
Sarina Lacina, Box Office Manager
Costume Shop
Kathleen Trott, Costume Shop Manager
CeCe Sickler, Cutter/Draper
Becky Giblin, Master Stitcher
Shelby Joiner, First Hand & Painter/Dyer
Emily Stovall, Workroom Assistant & Costume Rentals
Claire Mezzetta, Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor & Stitcher II
Cody Grasher, Apprentice II
Karen Bondy, Apprentice I
Rich Fine, Apprentice I
Development
Ashley Parks, Director of Development
AJ Frost, Associate Director of Development, Institutional Relations
Michael Maniaci, Major Gifts Officer
Amanda Stansfield, Individual Giving Manager
Courtney Kenyon, Annual Fund Manager
Education AND Community Engagement
Cassie Robel, Director of Education & Community Engagement
Miriam Schildkret, Education Teaching Artist
Finance and Administration
Joann Serra, Director of Finance, Administration, & HR
Dawn Busby, Staff Accountant
Maria Tellez, Staff Accountant & Budget Analyst
Iryna Comstock, Accounting Associate
Marketing
Tom Michel, Director of Marketing, Communications, & Public Relations
Ellen Hinkle, Marketing Manager
John McCoy, Marking Specialist
Production
Greg Hirsch, Resident Lighting Designer & Director of Production
Alanna Maniscalco, Properties Supervisor
Matthew Christophel, Technical Director
Stage Management
Keri Muir, Production Stage Manager
Wigs and Makeup
Alita Lopez, Wig & Makeup Manager
Arizona Opera Orchestra
Violin 1
Ikuko Kanda, Concertmaster
Linda Lambie, Assistant Concertmaster
Rebecca Wittkamp
Galina Sukhina
Mutsuko Tatman
Dasha Hlavenka
Hisami Iijima Dillard
Carla Kountoupes
Violin 2
Cynthia Baker, Principal
Helga Kolosick, Assistant Principal
Priscilla Benitez
Richard Hoffman
Laura Tagawa
Tamara Freida
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