General Director

Position Opportunity

General Director
Arizona Opera
Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona

Arizona Opera welcomes nominations and applications for the position of General Director, available on July 1, 2025.

Arizona Opera
https://azopera.org/

Arizona Opera, founded in 1971, is a cornerstone of the arts and culture community in Arizona, serving both Phoenix and Tucson with a mission to connect and inspire its communities through artistically vibrant programs and productions that combine music, storytelling, and the human voice. Over the years, Arizona Opera has become known for its innovative productions, prolific education and community-centric programming, and commitment to both classic and contemporary works. Alumni of Arizona Opera’s Pullin Opera Studio regularly appear with leading opera companies throughout the world. At the heart of Arizona Opera’s vision is a deep commitment to creating transformative experiences through the power of opera. This commitment is evident in Arizona Opera’s Mainstage productions, its community engagement initiatives, and its education programs that reach across the state, bringing the art form to diverse audiences and inspiring future generations of artists and opera lovers alike. Like many performing arts organizations around the country, Arizona Opera is navigating the challenges of the post-pandemic landscape, including issues affecting attendance and contributed income. To address these challenges, Arizona Opera has recently adopted a new strategic plan, focused on Financial and Organizational Sustainability, Community Impact and Awareness, and Innovation.

The upcoming 2024/25 Season will feature groundbreaking initiatives aligned with this strategic plan. Notably, Arizona Opera introducing the "Beyond Downtown" program, part of the McDougall RED Series, which aims to bring opera outside its traditional venues and into the broader Arizona community. The season will include productions of classics such as La Bohème and Aida, the Arizona premiere of the adventure opera Zorro, and the expansion of its annual Tucson recital program into the Phoenix metro area. Additionally, Arizona Opera will continue its robust statewide education programs, ensuring that opera remains accessible and impactful across the state through more than 130 in-school performances in the past season alone.

Arizona Opera is continuing to incorporate cutting-edge technology into its productions as part of its commitment to both innovation and sustainability. The 2024/25 Season will showcase an AI-supported concert version of Verdi’s Aida, utilizing Arizona Opera’s state-of-the-art LED Video Wall to create an immersive and visually stunning experience that redefines how opera can be presented. This innovative approach addresses the cost challenges of large-scale productions while opening new avenues for artistic expression and audience engagement.

Arizona Opera has a 32-member Board of Directors and 18 full-time staff members. The Company receives valuable support from the Valley Friends of Arizona Opera, the Arizona Opera League Tucson, and the Prescott Friends of Arizona Opera. The annual operating budget is about $5 million. Joseph Specter, President & General Director, will conclude his nine-year tenure with the Company at the end of the 2024/25 season. Specter, who has led Arizona Opera through a transformative period, will continue to oversee the organization through the search for new leadership.

The Opportunity

The next General Director of Arizona Opera will join an organization that has responded to significant pandemic-related financial and operational challenges by making necessary reductions in operating costs while increasing institutional energies directed toward fundraising and audience development. The Company has embraced a framework for long-term budget and program growth that will reimagine how a vibrant regional opera company produces both traditional opera and new work in ways that ensure financial stability, deepen community impact and awareness, and expand the audience for opera in Phoenix, Tucson, and throughout the state. The next General Director will influence and lead the implementation of Arizona Opera’s growth plan for a strong and sustainable future.

The Position

The General Director is the chief executive officer of Arizona Opera and reports to the Board of Trustees through the Chair. The General Director provides leadership to ensure that the Company fulfills its mission and realizes its vision “to be a statewide cultural community connected through resonant experiences that create a sense of inspiration and belonging for all Arizonans.” Within the strategic framework established by the Board of Trustees, the General Director ensures that the Company achieves its goals for organizational stability; community impact and awareness; and innovation. As the visible spokesperson for Arizona Opera, the General Director builds public awareness and appreciation for the Company within Phoenix and Tucson and throughout the state of Arizona, and ensures that Arizona Opera embraces, engages, reflects, and celebrates the rich diversity of the greater Arizona community.

The General Director is responsible and accountable for the artistic, financial, and organizational success of Arizona Opera. The General Director provides leadership and direction in determining repertoire, productions, singers, conductors, stage directors, designers, and composers for the Company’s main stage and other productions. The General Director ensures that the Company negotiates, implements, and observes the terms and conditions of collective bargaining agreements and other contracts and fosters an environment that allows singers, conductors, orchestra musicians, chorus members, technical staff, and production staff to do their best work.

The General Director is responsible for the overall management of Arizona Opera’s $5 million budget, ensuring the Company’s long-term sustainability. The General Director oversees the development of annual and multi-year budgets that balance artistic aspirations with financial realities and oversees all aspects of the Company’s operations. The General Director provides direction, management, and oversight to a high-performing artistic and administrative staff team.

The General Director devotes significant time and energy to fundraising, and takes a leadership role in the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of gifts. The General Director provides support to the work of the Board in both annual and endowment fundraising. The General Director provides guidance, support, and oversight to the marketing staff as they develop innovative ways to attract and welcome both veteran and new audiences to Arizona Opera performances in both Phoenix and Tucson.

The General Director ensures a safe and supportive work environment and a culture that celebrates diversity and instills the values of equity, inclusion, and belonging throughout the Company. The General Director encourages teamwork within and across operating departments, ensures effective communication, and promotes transparency throughout the Company. Working with the Board Chair, the General Director provides impetus and support to the work of the Board and its committees, identifies potential Board and committee members, and ensures that the Board has timely and accurate information for decision-making and good governance.

The General Director is the visible representative and spokesperson for Arizona Opera in Phoenix, Tucson, and throughout the state, and is an active participant in the business and cultural life of the community.