Florida Grand Opera Welcomes New Board Members

The Board of Directors of Florida Grand Opera (FGO) recently announced the appointment of Carla Albarran and George Riggs III as its newest members. Additionally both Mrs. Albarran and Mr. Riggs have been selected to join the Board's Executive Committee, with Mrs. Albarran serving as the Assistant Secretary and Mr. Riggs serving as the Assistant Treasurer.

"We are thrilled to welcome both Carla and George to our Board. Their combined talents will certainly enrich our beloved opera company," said William Hill, FGO's Chairman of the Board.

Mrs. Albarran was raised in Acapulco, Mexico, and saw her first opera, La bohème, at the age of four. Because operas in Acapulco were limited, her parents would take her to Mexico City and Europe to experience more performances. Mrs. Albarran graduated from a boarding school in Switzerland, Château Mont-Choisi, and she later graduated with a degree in hotel management from Centre International de Glion, Switzerland, in 1994.

Mrs. Albarran is married to Ricardo Albarran, and together they live in Coral Gables with their three children: Susanna, Ricardo, and Carla.

Mr. Riggs serves as Senior Advisor with Sperry Van Ness South Commercial Real Estate Advisors.

"I am new to opera and happy to support the oldest and most significant arts institution in the State of Florida," says Mr. Riggs. "Having performed in principal and supporting roles in community theater, in addition to film and television, I can appreciate first-hand the hard work and dedication required to bring the arts to life. Historically and in the future, all great communities have been and will be measured by their support of and commitment to performance arts.

"I am grateful to the FGO Board for the opportunity to serve at this pivotal time as Miami solidifies its place as a world class city. Opera tells the story of us all, with timeless music and dramatic singing, replete with humor, irony, and comedy... closed captioned, of course, in both English and Spanish," he adds.

Florida Grand Opera (FGO), the oldest performing arts organization in Florida, celebrates its 74th year of continuously producing grand opera during the 2014-15 Season. The mainstage operas of the season include: Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly, November 15 - December 6; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Così fan tutte, January 24 - February 14; Georges Bizet's The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles), February 28 - March 14; and Gian Carlo Menotti's The Consul, May 9 - 16.

Throughout the fall of 2014, Florida Grand Opera (FGO) announced the launch of "Say YES! to Opera, South Florida," a $17.5 million comprehensive campaign to fund the future of the company. FGO is now asking all those who enjoy and support grand opera in South Florida to make their gifts or pledge today. For more information, or to make a pledge please contact Individual Giving Officer Max Kellogg at 305.403.3320 or mkellogg@fgo.org.

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