Arizone Opera names new boss

Arizona Opera on Thursday named Joseph Specter president and general director, effective July 1.

Specter replaces Ryan Taylor, who left Arizona Opera this month to lead Minnesota Opera. He had led Arizona for three years, rescuing the company from the brink of financial disaster and leading efforts to erase $3.2 million in debt that he inherited when he took over the company in spring 2013.

Specter, a former opera singer, inherited a similar financial mess when he took over Austin Opera in 2012.