San Diego Opera Welcomes Adam Cioffari As New Artistic Administrator

San Diego Opera has welcomed Adam Cioffari as its new Artistic Administrator. In this position Cioffari will work closely with artistic and production teams to envision future programming and bring it to life - especially engaging with global talent and securing top tier artists for San Diego Opera productions. With a diverse background as an opera singer, stage director, and administrator, Cioffari's deep knowledge of the operatic canon and reputation within the industry will help shape San Diego Opera's future programming.

"We are thrilled to welcome Adam Cioffari to our team," said David Bennett, General Director of San Diego Opera. "His extensive experience and knowledge of the current field of opera, paired with his perspective as an artist and director, allows us to bring even more powerful opera experiences to the San Diego community. We look forward to an exciting future."

Prior to joining San Diego Opera, Cioffari held vital administrative roles with Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera, Sarasota Opera, Maryland Lyric Opera, and Opera Project Columbus. He was awarded "Outstanding Stage Director" by Theater Tampa Bay for his production of The Merry Widow for St. Petersburg Opera, where he also directed productions of Samson et Dalila, Tosca, Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Così fan tutte. He has extensive directorial credits with organizations across the nation, such as New York City Opera, Opera in Williamsburg, Shreveport Opera, and Opera North.

As a bass-baritone, Cioffari has performed around the world with companies including New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Central City Opera, Dayton Opera, Castleton Festival, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Knoxville Opera, Theatre Capitole de Toulouse, Staatsoper, Stuttgart, and more. He is an alumnus of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, the Merola Opera Program, Music Academy of the West, and Aspen Opera Theater. He is a graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

"It is a true privilege to join the team at San Diego Opera, a real cultural bastion with a rich history," said Cioffari. "I look forward to collaborating with the SDO team and the visiting artists to produce engaging and enthralling musical storytelling of the highest quality."

San Diego Opera is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary season, which saw a successful opening weekend with Giacomo Puccini's La bohème in November 2024 and features upcoming productions of Richard Strauss's Salome (March 21-23) and Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata (April 25-27). This season artfully combines technology with tradition - featuring singers in period costumes performing alongside state-of-the-art visual projections bringing the settings of each masterwork to life. San Diego Opera plans to unveil programming for its highly-anticipated 2025-2026 season this Spring.