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
Samuel Carroll, Director of Artistic Operations and Marion Roose Pullin Studio
Katherine Kozak, Head of Music, Chorus Director, and Principal Coach of the Pullin Opera Studio
Shawn Campbell, Orchestra Manager
Laura Tagawa, Orchestra Librarian
Box Office
Morgan Pruitt, Associate Director of Patrons Services
Abigail Brow, Patrons Services Manager
Community Engagement and Education
Cassie Hollerbach, Director of Education and Community Engagement
Development
Michael Hoke, Interim Director of Development
Molly Flores, Associate Director of Development
Finance and Administration
Joann Serra, Director of Finance, Administration, & HR
Iryna Comstock, Accounting Associate
Marketing
Tom Michel, Interim Director of Marketing, Communications, & Public Relations
John McCoy, Marketing Manager
Production
Clayton Rodney, Director of Production
Evan Kirschbaum, Production & Artistic Operations Manager
Dillon Girgenti, Lighting, Video and Effects Supervisor
Kris Medrano, Production Electrician
Matthew Swanson, Assistant Production Electrician & Programmer
Caleb Hathaway, Sound Supervisor
Cindy Knight, Stage Manager
Marie Yokoyama, Lighting Designer
Costume
Shelby Joiner, Costume Shop Manager
Becky Giblin, Master Stitcher
Emma Van Horn, Assistant Costume Shop Manager
Scenic Shop
Ryan Bruner, Head Carpenter and Scenic Shop Manager
Robert Bruner, Steward & Lead Carpenter
Raz Vela, Metalwork
Craig Cheply, Head Scenic Artist
Wigs and Makeup
Alita Lopez, Wig & Makeup Manager
Arizona Opera Orchestra
Violin 1
Linda Lambie, Assistant Concertmaster
Galina Sukhina
Mutsuko Tatman
Dasha Hlavenka
Hisami Iijima Dillard
Carla Kountoupes
Jisu Choi
Violin 2
Cynthia Baker, Principal
Priscilla Benitez
Laura Tagawa
Tamara Freida
Grave Wills
Luke Hill
Romon Soberano
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
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
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
Tuba
Steve Mapes, Principal
Timpani
Neil Dunn, Principal
Percussion
Corey Ritter, Principal