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Seattle Opera.

Staff Directory

Directors

General Director:

Aidan Lang

Director of Programs & Partnerships:

Alejandra Valarino Boyer

Director of Artistic Administration & Planning:

Aren Der Hacopian

Director of Marketing & Communications:

Kristina Murti

Director of Production:

Doug Provost

Director of Development:

Allison Rabbitt

Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operations Officer:

Jane Repensek

Director of Human Resources:

Nancy Del Villar Vivé

Departments

Administration

Dominica Myers
Associate Director of Administration

Artistic

Mary Brazeau
Artistic Administration Manager

Meggie Watson
Associate Director of Artistic Planning

Jonathan Dean
Dramaturg

Paula Podemski
Company Manager

Emmy Ulmer
Titlist


Music

John Keene
Head of Music Staff and Chorusmaster

Philip A. Kelsey
Assistant Conductor

David McDade
Head of Coach-Accompanists

Jay Rozendaal
Coach-Accompanist/Orchestra Librarian

Emily Cabaniss
Music Assistant/Company Librarian

Stephen Wall
Chorus Personnel Coordinator

Beth Kirchhoff
Chorusmaster Emeritus


Stage Management

Yasmine Kiss
Production Stage Manager

Mike Egan, Madeline Levy
Assistant Stage Managers

Adrienne Mendoza
Production Assistant

Izzi Giorgianni
Stage Management Intern

Development

Tracy Reich
Associate Director of Development

Chris Burkett
Individual Giving Officer

Julia Curns-Welch
Institutional Giving Officer

Caitlyn Davis
Stewardship and Events Associate

Matt Lider
Individual Giving Officer

Stephanie Matsunaga
Development Operations Coordinator

Tosha Mayo
Development Coordinator

Erica McIntyre
Development Operations Manager

Catherine Merlo
Sr. Individual Giving Officer

Kim Ositis
Development Research and Database Manager

Ahana Sen
Stewardship and Events Associate

David Silverstein
Institutional Giving Associate

Caroline Webb
Stewardship and Events Manager

Programs and Partnerships

Rachelle Adams
Operations Manager

T.J. Callahan
Community Programs Coordinator

Courtney Clark
School Programs Manager

Liz Frazer
Teen Vocal Studio Program Manager

Lokela Alexander Minami
Community Engagement Manager

Sara Litchfield
Youth & Family Programs Manager

Britney Schroeder
Production Manager, Community Projects

Stephanie Sintef
Tour & Events Coordinator

Ryan Bede, Julia Benzinger, Jennifer Bromagen, Becca Cantrell, Ben Cleveland, John Coons, Katrina Deininger, Serena Eduljee, Andrew Etherington, Karen Early Evans, Jon Farmer, Alexander Gallo, Glenn Guhr, Michael Heitmann, Li-Tan Hsu, Tim Janecke, Nerys Jones, Darrell Jordan, Kay Yeh, Kelly Kitchens, Yeonji Lee, Cheryse McLeod Lewis, John Marzano, Jessica Milanese, Ibidunni Ojikutu, Dawn Padula, Melissa Plagemann, Allison Pohl, Marcus Shelton, Greg Smith, Meg Stohlmann, Revere Taylor, Shelly Traverse, Ta Wei Tsai, Annie Walters, Lucy Weber, Erin White, Lyndee White
Teaching Artists

Finance

Marissa Betz-Zall
Associate Director of Finance

Kate Joyce
Senior Financial Analyst

Randee Byrd
Payroll Manager

Trevor Torres
Payroll Assistant

Lindsey O'Connor
Staff Accountant


Facilities 

Todd Clark
Facilities Manager

Mark Nebel
Facilities Assistant


Information Systems

Iain Quigley
Desktop and User Support Technician

Stuart McLeod
Software Systems Administrator

Marketing & Communications

Brittany Rall
Associate Director of Marketing

Hailey Burt
Digital Marketing Specialist

Gabrielle Nomura Gainor
Communications & Public Engagement Manager

Glenn Hare
Senior Communications Manager

Ed Hawkins
Marketing Manager/Copywriter

Erika Norris
Web Producer

Meg Stoltz
Digital Marketing Manager

Elliot Stromberg
Interm Graphic Designer


Sales and Services

Michelle M. Carrasquillo
Associate Director of Marketing, Sales and Services

Gregory Schell
Ticket Operations Manager

Kristin McCarthy
Audience Services Manager

Corrie Yadon
Patron Experience Manager

Debra McKinney
Group Sales Coordinator

Katrina Deininger, Antonio Portela
Audience Service Leads

Alexander Hawker, Zeapoe Matalda, Anne Szeliski, Emma Wahl
Audience Services Representatives

 
Direct Sales

Ed Boyd
Direct Sales Manager

Ethan Smith
Direct Sales Assistant

Mary Hobbs, Albert Sanders
Senior Account Representatives

Erin Hart, Virginia Jackson, Dorothea Kopta, Gail Sage, Noel Walker, Toni Zeigler
Account Representatives

Production

Russell Crosbie
Technical Director

Alicia Moriarty
Assistant Production Director

Carl Faber
Assistant Lighting Designer


Costumes

Susan I. Davis
Costume Director

Heidi Zamora
Costume Show Manager

Kiera Krieg
Costume Show Assistant

Ieva Ohaks
Costume Rental-Stock Coordinator

Hannah Tyo
Costume Assistant

Denise Barry
Lead Cutter

Miriam Goodman-Miller
Crafts Supervisor

Shanna Sincell
Cutter

Cynthia Abbott, Kim Dancy
First Hands

Kate Hartman, Shellie Moomey, Yoko Niendorf, Connie Rinchiuso, Laura Mé Smith
Stitchers

Kellie Dunn, Jeanna Gomez
Craftsperson

Ron Erickson
Wardrobe Head

Christy Kazimour
Assistant Wardrobe Head

Scott Arend
Second Assistant Wardrobe Head


Hair & Makeup

Liesl Alice Gatcheco
Hair & Makeup Manager

Ashlee Naegle
Wig Master

Eva Robins
Lead Principal Hair & Makeup Artist

Calli Dey, Trisha Partida, Shelby Rogers, Julia Wing-Krafft
Principal Hair & Makeup Artists

Deborah Arthur, MJ Fjellestad, Jenn Hill, Amara Madeo, Anne McGowan, Allegra Rege, Kelly Schmidt, Terry Wright
Makeup Artists

Josh Mina
Hair & Makeup Assistant


Stage Crew

Charles T. Buck
Master Stage Carpenter

Jason Balter, Dallas Duell
Assistants Master Stage Carpenters

Justin Lloyd
Head Flyman

Chris Balducci, Jason Balter, Dallas Duell, Adam Lantz, Matthew Lint, Robert Millard, Jason Wagoner
Assistant Stage Carpenters

Jim Nash
Master Electrician

Martin Cunningham
Assistant Master Electrician

Molly Brindley, Chris Dimoff, Jim Gable
Assistant Electricians

Chris Reay
A/V Supervisor

Petrude W. Olds Jr.
Properties Master

Sandy Burke
Assistant Properties Master

Ariana Donofrio
Assistant Properties

Candy Solie
Lightboard Operator

Jack Burke
Master Sound Technician/Designer

Executive Bio

Aidan Lang. Copyright Rick DahmsAidan Lang, General Director

Aidan Lang became Seattle Opera's General Director on September 1, 2014 after a two-year, international search by the Board of Trustees. The third General Director of Seattle Opera, Lang departs at the close of the 2018/19 season following a five-year tenure. Under Lang’s leadership, Seattle Opera has: increased its audiences, particularly, young people, created a new civic home for opera at Seattle Center, introduced new chamber opera productions in locations around the city, and made organizational strides toward racial equity. In September 2018, Lang announced he will leave his post as General Director at the end of the 2018/19 season to lead Welsh National Opera. Read his letter to the community about this announcement.

Read Full Bio

Before moving to Seattle, as General Director of New Zealand Opera from 2006 to 2013 Lang strove to ensure that every production was theatrically stimulating and musically ambitious. Working collaboratively is a top priority for Lang, and during his tenure New Zealand Opera implemented a series of collaborations with such companies as Glyndebourne, Opera North, and Welsh National Opera, bringing exciting productions from directors Nikolaus Lehnhoff (Jenůfa), Tim Albery (Macbeth), and Christopher Alden (Turandot) to New Zealand. In addition to bringing productions in, Lang made it a priority to develop the capacity to build productions in the country, establishing New Zealand's first-ever opera production workshop. This workshop resulted in international co-productions with Scottish Opera (L'italiana in Algeri), Victorian Opera (Serse), and last year's Der Fliegende Holländer and La Cenerentola with Opera Queensland in Australia. Future international co-productions are also underway with Cape Town Opera, West Australian Opera, Opera Queensland, State Opera of South Australia, and Victorian Opera. Lang's collaborative approach has also reaped significant rewards in the business area. With the expansion of the company's reach to include Christchurch, in addition to its performing centers in Auckland and Wellington, Lang rebranded New Zealand Opera as a truly national company, one that serves the entire country. The partnership Lang spearheaded with Creative New Zealand (the country's national arts development agency) resulted in significant increases to its core grant funding, securing long-term financial stability for the company.

Prior to leading New Zealand Opera, Aidan Lang held artistic leadership positions at Buxton Festival, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Glyndebourne Touring Opera, and Opera Zuid in the Netherlands. Concurrent with these leadership positions, Lang was a sought after freelance director working around the world. Among other productions, he directed the first Brazilian production of Wagner's Ring at the historic Teatro Amazonas in Manaus. Other noted productions include Le Comte Ory (Welsh National Opera), Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (Lisbon), The Turn of the Screw (Salzburg) and the British premieres of The Magic Fountain by Frederick Delius (Scottish Opera) and Cornet Christoph Rilke's Song of Love and Death by Siegfried Matthus (Glyndebourne). As Artistic Director of the Buxton Festival, Lang expanded the Festival to include Baroque and contemporary music, tripled its audience attendance, and delivered significant operating surpluses in each year. He was a key part of the triumvirate senior management team at Glyndebourne, where he held dual positions for nine years. He succeeded in developing a unique identity for Glyndebourne Touring Opera, distinct from the larger Glyndebourne Festival, and continuing the company's tradition of nurturing young singers. Concurrent with his positions at Glyndebourne, he was appointed the inaugural Artistic Director of Opera Zuid, a newly created touring company based in the Netherlands. During his leadership, Opera Zuid's impact and the quality of its work were such that the company received national funding and is now a permanent fixture of operatic life in the Netherlands. Born in 1957 in the UK, Lang is a graduate of The Tiffin School and the University of Birmingham. He relocated to Seattle with his wife of 24 years, the former soprano Linda Kitchen, and their 17-year-old daughter, Eleanor. In addition to his operatic leadership skills and international directing experience, Lang is an accomplished musician, having studied clarinet since the age of 8.

Main Photo © Elise Bakketun  |   Aidan Lang photo © Rick Dahms, Kelly Tweedale photo © Yuen Lui