San Diego Opera Appoints Ed Hofmeister As Director Of Marketing And Communications

Ed Hofmeister returns to the San Diego arts community, where he built his marketing and communications career at organizations like The Old Globe, Lamb's Players Theatre and Mainly Mozart

San Diego Opera announced today that Ed Hofmeister has been appointed its new Director of Marketing and Communications. In this position, he will lead efforts to expand San Diego Opera's reach and bring its acclaimed artists, world-class productions, and impactful community programs to an even wider audience.

Hofmeister knows the San Diego arts landscape well, having served in key roles at the Tony Award-winning Old Globe, Lamb's Players Theatre, and Mainly Mozart. But he most recently served in the Southeast as Chief Marketing Officer for the historic Florida Grand Opera. Under his leadership, Florida Grand Opera saw significant increases in ticket sales (49%), subscription package sales (18%), and subscription income (21%). His season-opening campaign for La traviata was the company's most successful since before the pandemic.

"We are thrilled to welcome Ed Hofmeister back to San Diego," said David Bennett, General Director of San Diego Opera. "His extensive experience and dedication to bringing performing arts to new audiences-especially in San Diego-aligns perfectly with our mission to reach even more of our community with the power of the human voice through opera, and will prove invaluable going into our landmark 60th anniversary season. We can't wait to see how his efforts will enhance our presence in San Diego and beyond."

Before his time at Florida Grand Opera, Hofmeister served for nine years as Associate Director of Marketing for The Old Globe, where he collaborated with the theatre's sales, marketing, and philanthropy teams on productions as diverse as the Tony Award-winning A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Steve Martin's Picasso at the Lapin Agile directed by Barry Edelstein, and Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! He also served on the staff and board task forces that created the Globe's Statement of Values and secured the James Irvine Foundation grant that spurred the creation of the Globe's influential Arts Engagement department.

Prior to The Old Globe, Hofmeister held the role of Director of Marketing for Mainly Mozart and Lamb's Players Theatre. He crafted the marketing strategies that increased paid admissions for the Mainly Mozart Festival as well as increasing earned income at both companies. Hofmeister is an alumnus of the American Express Leadership Academy and has served on the Board of Directors for the Coronado School of the Arts Foundation and the San Diego Performing Arts League. He has a BFA from the USC School of Theatre.

"I'm so glad to be back in San Diego," said Hofmeister, "and I'm even more overjoyed to join David Bennett and his stellar team here at San Diego Opera. It would be exciting in any year, but arriving right as the organization starts its 60th anniversary season is mind-blowing. When I think of the artists and arts professionals who have labored over the years to bring the Opera to this moment in history, it's both humbling and inspiring to get a chance to build on that legacy. I can't wait to connect with audiences and introduce new people to this amazing art form."

San Diego Opera's 60th anniversary season features three of opera's most popular works. It opens Friday, November 1 with Giacomo Puccini's beloved La bohème, followed by Richard Strauss's provocative and intriguing Salome in March 2025, and closes in April with Guiseppe Verdi's romantic La traviata. In keeping with the company's reputation for innovation, the season will combine tradition with technology-featuring singers in period costumes performing alongside a scenic design featuring state-of-the-art visual projections that will bring the season's masterworks to vivid life.

Subscription packages for the 2024-25 San Diego Opera season are now on sale. Single tickets will go on sale September 3, 2024. For more information, please visit www.sdopera.org.

ABOUT SAN DIEGO OPERA
Founded in 1965, San Diego Opera has delivered exceptional performances and exciting, accessible programs to diverse audiences in San Diego for nearly 60 seasons with a strong focus on community partnerships and the transformative and expressive power of the human voice. Through excellence in innovative programming and education - with a steadfast commitment to equity, diversity, sustainability and adaptability - San Diego Opera provides a lasting cultural service to San Diego's diverse and vibrant community. To learn more, please visit www.sdopera.org or follow @sandiegoopera on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

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