At the company's annual meeting on January 11th, Board President, Rosemarie V. Rosen, announced that Opera Saratoga's General Director, Curtis Tucker, would pursue new opportunities at the conclusion of the 2014 Festival Season.
Rosen further announced that, following a national search this fall, Lawrence Edelson has been appointed as the company's new Artistic and General Director, effective July 1st, 2014. Edelson will become Artistic General Director Designate effective immediately to begin working on future seasons at Opera Saratoga.
The company's second longest serving director, Curtis Tucker joined Opera Saratoga in June 2005, when the company was still known as the Lake George Opera Festival. Tucker oversaw a rebranding as Opera Saratoga and strengthened the company's position within Saratoga's thriving summer arts community. He will have produced nine summer festivals featuring 23 new productions, the professional premiere of Ned Rorem's Our Town, two New York premieres, and two new opera workshops, alongside numerous operatic classics and Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. During his tenure, Tucker has directed educational operas reaching nearly 250,000+ children through the company's Opera to Go program. This June with The Magic Flute, Tucker will conduct his tenth Saratoga production.
"Curt will have brought us nine beautiful opera seasons," said Rosen. "He has helped us establish ourselves in this exciting community and make it our home. We understand that there comes a time in an artist's career when he must go out to conquer new worlds, and this is that time for Curt. We wish him the very best. Our new Artistic and General Director, Larry Edelson, brings us a broad range of artistic, administrative and development experience and we are excited about the future of Opera Saratoga under his leadership."
Edelson is already familiar to Opera Saratoga audiences, having recently directed the company's 2013 production of H.M.S. Pinafore. Highly respected in the opera field not only as a stage director, but also as an innovative company leader, Edelson is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater (ALT) in New York City - a company dedicated to the mentorship of gifted emerging opera composers and librettists, and the development of new works. He is also the founder of Pro Musica Tours, one of New York City's leading cultural tour operators, specializing in educational performing arts tours for students. Edelson holds a Masters degree in Performing Arts Administration from New York University, has served as a consultant for various arts organizations, and currently serves on the Strategy Committee of OPERA America. A self-described "arts-entrepreneur," Edelson is a successful and creative leader with a proven track record of leading non-profit and for-profit companies, and of balancing artistic idealism and fiscal realism.
Responding to his appointment, Edelson commented "Curt is responsible for creating the community at Opera Saratoga that I fell in love with when I was a guest director with the company last year. He also helped guide the company through some particularly turbulent years, during which the national financial crisis saw the closure of many opera companies around the country. While Opera Saratoga still has some significant challenges ahead, Curt's efforts and ability to make difficult decisions helped to ensure that the company has a future to which it can look forward.I am honored to have the opportunity to work with the board, staff, and the community to shape and build that future."
Edelson continued, "Opera Saratoga and Saratoga Springs have so many assets that have the potential to be leveraged to great advantage. The company has a rich history of presenting diverse repertoire - from beloved classics to world premieres; of mentoring emerging artists who have since gone on to major international careers; and of providing vibrant arts education programs. Then there is the city itself and the surrounding region, which is such a beautiful area with so many wonderful attractions, community. I am excited to explore how Opera Saratoga can become an even stronger presence in the capital region, not only during the summer festival, but also throughout the year. The opportunity to build a relationship with and be a part of this incredible community is a thrilling prospect."
Lawrence will relocate to Saratoga Springs, but will also remain as Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater in New York City. The proximity of the two companies will allow him to spend time in both cities throughout the year. Further, his relationships through ALT will provide opportunities for Opera Saratoga to explore new partnerships that can increase the artistic quality and diversity of programming for the company, while reducing the financial risk and minimizing the expenses associated with new initiatives.
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