General Director + CEO

Company: Kentucky Opera

Company Location: Louisville, KY

Job Location: On Site/In Person

Job Type: Full Time

Date Posted: May 16, 2025

Network(s): General, Executive, & Artistic Directors

DESCRIPTION

Kentucky Opera invites nominations and applications for the position of General Director, available in the Fall 2025.

ABOUT KENTUCKY OPERA

Founded in 1952, Kentucky Opera soon gained national attention for its high quality productions, courageous repertoire, and enthusiastic audiences. Kentucky Opera was officially designated the State Opera of Kentucky in 1982.

Kentucky Opera has a distinguished leadership history. The Company was founded by Moritz von Bomhard with a budget of $10,000 to produce three operas and thrived under his direction for thirty years. Thomson Smillie succeeded Bomhard in 1982 and led the Company’s growth and development for the next 16 seasons. Deborah Sandler followed Smillie in 1998 and is now General Director of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City; David Roth took the helm in 2006 and led the Company until his untimely death in July 2015. Ian Derrer came to Kentucky Opera in 2016 from The Dallas Opera, where he served as artistic administrator, and returned to The Dallas Opera in 2018 as their General Director. Barbara Lynne Jamison became General Director and CEO in August 2018 and will be departing in July 2025 to lead Opera Colorado. Each of these leaders left a legacy of artistic success and adventuresome programming.

Kentucky Opera has a rich history of presenting new work and work that is new to Louisville audiences. Bomhard included one Louisville premiere in each season and presented five world premieres during the 1950s. The tradition has continued for more than seven decades. The 2024/25 Season saw Kentucky Opera’s return to commissioning new works with its first new commission since 1988, Chandler Carter & Diana Solomon-Glover’s This Little Light of Mine. The 2025/26 Season will feature five innovative productions at the Kentucky Opera Center for Cultural Health: La Traviata and All is Calm returns to Kentucky Opera’s stage, plus regional premieres of Songbird, Derrick Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg,  and a youth opera production of Ben Moore & Kelley Rourke’sRobin Hood.

Kentucky Opera has made a major commitment to growing its civic engagement. Current programs include Bravo Time, a storybook-based program for preschoolers that invites creativity and imagination; Youth Opera Project, a participatory approach to music and theatre for ages 8-18; and the Awakenings program, pre-show conversations that connect themes of the upcoming opera directly with community values, issues, and events. The Company also offers master classes, preview discussions, and admission to dress rehearsals for students.

The Company also provides training and professional development opportunities to young artists who are pursuing their graduate studies through an Apprentice Artist Partnership with the University of Louisville School of Music.

Kentucky Opera today has an annual operating budget of about $2 million, a strong balance sheet, and an engaged donor base. The Company is governed by a Board of Trustees that is currently around 20-strong and has an artistic and administrative staff of nine; the CFO function is provided by RADAR Nonprofit Solutions.

THE CITY OF LOUISVILLE

Louisville offers a wide variety of arts and entertainment, with suburban and rural living within easy commuting distance. In addition to Kentucky Opera, the city is home to Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Louisville Orchestra, Louisville Youth Orchestra, Louisville Ballet, the Speed Museum, the Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville Slugger Museum, the Kentucky Derby Museum, and many more arts and cultural organizations. Louisville is home to the world’s first Festival of Faiths, which is now in its 30th year.

Louisville was recognized in October by Travel & Leisure magazine as one of the nation’s top destinations for foodies. Also admired for its parks, the city is encircled by the 100-mile Louisville Loop trail. And Louisville’s Churchill Downs is the proud home of the annual Kentucky Derby.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The seventh General Director of Kentucky Opera will join a Company with an outstanding record of success both artistically and financially, located in one of the most livable cities in America. S/he will have the opportunity to lead and represent Kentucky Opera in a vibrant community where both the performing and visual arts thrive as dynamic arts leaders explore creative ways to expand and engage audiences.

Kentucky Opera has adopted a strategic plan that extends to 2027/28, its 75 th Anniversary Season. The Company receives support from the Fund for the Arts, the country’s first and oldest continuing united arts fund, and from other national, regional, and local corporations and donors. As local philanthropy responds to financial uncertainties, support for Kentucky Opera has not returned to its pre-pandemic levels. The next General Director will be challenged to increase and diversify the Company’s patron base and to develop new sources of revenue to support the Opera’s programs and productions.

THE POSITION

The General Director is the chief executive and artistic officer of Kentucky Opera, with oversight and ultimate responsibility and accountability to the Board of Trustees for artistic vision, financial soundness, robust fundraising and deep community engagement. S/he oversees all aspects of operations, including: artistic administration; budgeting and financial management; development; marketing and public relations; advocacy; education; and human resource management.

The General Director sets and realizes an exciting and compelling artistic vision for the Company. Working with the Board and staff, s/he determines repertoire, assembles production teams, identifies casts, and engages artistic personnel. S/he ensures that the Company achieves and maintains the highest possible standards of artistic excellence with available financial resources.

S/he provides leadership and vision for the Company’s education programs and civic engagement activities. S/he fosters an environment that allows artists to do their best work.

The General Director leads the fundraising efforts of Kentucky Opera. S/he invests significant time and energy in the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of donors. S/he provides impetus, support, and guidance to the fundraising efforts of Board members and volunteers.

The General Director establishes and maintains positive and productive working relationships with Louisville’s Fund for the Arts, the Kentucky Arts Council, and major corporate, foundation, and individual donors.

The General Director is the face of Kentucky Opera throughout the community and the region. S/he actively pursues opportunities for partnerships and collaborations with arts, educational, cultural, and other organizations in Louisville and the state of Kentucky. S/he serves as spokesperson for the Company with print, broadcast, and social media. The General Director strives to heighten awareness about Kentucky Opera throughout the community, the state, and the region.

The General Director leads, inspires, and motivates staff in a workplace that encourages collaboration and teamwork. S/he mentors and develops talent within the organization. S/he ensures strong communication among all the Company’s stakeholders. S/he supports the Board in its governance role and works closely with the Board President and the Governance Committee in recruiting talented volunteers to an active and energized Board.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

The successful candidate will be a visionary, creative, and energetic leader with a proven collaborative approach to engaging with Board, staff, and community stakeholders. S/he will be experienced and knowledgeable about all aspects of opera repertoire, artists, and production. S/he will have the strength of personality to unite both volunteer and professional members of the Company behind a shared vision for Kentucky Opera.

The successful candidate will have a passionate belief in the value and importance of opera as an art form and as a vital community asset. S/he will be cognizant of present-day challenges to the financial viability of professional opera companies and their ability to sustain and grow audiences. S/he will have the imagination, flexibility, and resilience to address challenges and find innovative ways to attract new audiences and new sources of financial support.

The successful candidate will be adept at fundraising. S/he will be willing to devote substantial time and effort to the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of donors, and to providing excellent stewardship of gifts. The successful candidate will be a skilled manager who inspires and empowers artists, administrative staff, and Board members to do their best work. S/he will be able to develop and maintain an environment that allows the Company to achieve a consistently high standard of artistic excellence. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker who leads the Company in developing short- and long-term operating plans to ensure that Kentucky Opera achieves its income and expense goals. S/he will have excellent budgeting and financial management skills.

The successful candidate will welcome the opportunity to make a home in Louisville and to take an active role in the greater Louisville community.

COMPENSATION

The annual salary range for the General Director at Kentucky Opera begins at $135,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience. Compensation includes a benefits package that is comparable to similar organizations. The company hopes to make its decision by Fall of 2025 with the chosen candidate transitioning into the role by late 2025/early 2026.

Kentucky Opera is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Candidates from historically underrepresented populations are encouraged to apply for this role.

TO APPLY

Please send a cover letter outlining your specific interest in Kentucky Opera and qualifications for the position. Include your resume, salary requirements, and contact information for at least three references. Electronic submissions are preferred. All applications will be treated confidentially, and references will not be called without the candidate’s prior knowledge and agreement.

This position will remain open until filled. The Committee will begin to review candidates’ credentials in May.

Please send materials to ExecutiveSearch@kyopera.org.

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Desired Start Date: November 1, 2025

BENEFITS

Pay Range: $110,000 - $135,000 Annual

HOW TO APPLY