OPERA America Reveals 19 Participants for 2023 Leadership Intensive

OPERA America has announced the 19 participants selected for the 2023 Leadership Intensive. The program exemplifies the organization’s long-standing commitment to identify and support the professional growth of leaders who will help move opera forward for years to come.

This 2023 class is the largest cohort in the program’s history. It includes 13 participants selected by OPERA America and two participants selected by each of OPERA America’s partner organizations: the Association for Opera in Canada, Opera Europa, and Ópera Latinoamérica.

The 2023 Leadership Intensive participants are:

American Participants

• Kathleen Dean, Strategy and Governance Manager, Washington National Opera (Washington, D.C.)
• Daniel Fung, Creative Development Program Director, Minnesota Opera (Minneapolis, MN)
• Alyssa Greenberg, Audience Engagement Manager, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (Chicago, IL)
• Michael Hoke, Associate Director of Development, Arizona Opera (Phoenix, AZ)
• Pamela Jones, Artist Development Manager, OPERA America (New York, NY)
• Stefanos Koroneos, General and Artistic Director, Teatro Grattacielo (New York, NY)
• Justin Lucero, Artistic Director, El Paso Opera; Assistant Professor of Directing, Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama (El Paso, TX)
• Alexis Peart, Executive Director, Boston Opera Collaborative (Jamaica Plain, MA)
• Jamelah Rimawi, Director of Programs and Events, OPERA America (New York, NY)
• Maria Sensi Sellner, Artistic and General Director, Resonance Works (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Jamie Sharp, Communications and Publications Manager, Grantmakers in the Arts (Chicago, IL)
• Andrea Tichy, Director of Marketing and Communications, Co-Director of External Affairs, Portland Opera (Portland, OR)
• Brooke Tolley, General Director, Opera Roanoke (Roanoke, VA)

International Participants

• Ricardo Appezzato, Artistic Manager, Santa Marcelina Cultura (São Paulo, BR)
• Guillaume L’Hôpital, Artistic Producer/Young Artists Program Manager, Théâtre royal de la Monnaie (Brussels, BE)
• Julie McIsaac, Stage Director, Dramaturg, Podcast Host, Curator, Consultant (Victoria, BC)
• Francisca Peró Gubler, Executive Director, Biobío Theater (Bío Bío, CL)
• Kate Rooney, Planning Manager, Royal Opera House, Convent Garden (London, UK)
• Jennifer Szeto, Director, Atelier Lyrique (Montreal, QC)

(See below for additional information about the participants.)

The cohort was chosen from a record-breaking pool of applicants through a competitive selection process. Candidates were selected through three rounds of interviews in which they were evaluated based on their career achievements and goals, demonstrated leadership, and contributions to the field.

“Now in its ninth season, the Leadership Intensive has a proven track record as a catalyst for the development of a new generation of opera leaders,” stated Marc. A. Scorca, president/CEO of OPERA America. “Alumni of the program hold leadership positions internationally in the opera field and the arts more generally.”

The Leadership Intensive offers participants an extended professional development experience that will bolster their leadership capacity and advance their careers. Participants will gather at OPERA America’s National Opera Center from August 16 to 23, 2023, for a week of seminars and trainings that will address strategic issues, build essential skills, and foster international professional connections.

Participants will take part in additional professional development activities over the course of the next year, including regular group coaching sessions, webinars with field executives, and roundtable discussions at OPERA America’s annual conference in Los Angeles in June 2024.

For more information about the Leadership Intensive, including a list of the program’s alumni, visit operaamerica.org/Leadership.

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