OPERA America Announces Leadership Intensive to Develop Future Leaders

OPERA America, the national service organization for opera, has announced the 2012 Leadership Intensive as part of its firm commitment to develop leaders who will advance the creation, presentation and enjoyment of opera for years to come. The Leadership Intensive will identify the most promising emerging leaders in a range of opera administration fields and provide them with the skills and contacts needed to advance to an executive level position.

Participants will be chosen for one of 10 places through a competitive application and interview process. As part of the Leadership Intensive, they will then attend seminars and workshops during Opera Conference 2012 in Philadelphia in June, where leaders from across the opera industry will come together to hone their craft and learn from one another. This experience will put the emerging leaders into direct contact with industry experts and current practitioners, who can provide guidance and help open doors in the future. Topics to be addressed during these Leadership Intensive sessions include marketing, development, communications and strategic planning.

Building upon the work of Opera Conference 2012, Leadership Intensive participants will attend a week-long session in New York City in July. Focusing on personal leadership development, participants will also gain exposure to leaders from within and outside the opera field and attend several performances.

Through these diverse training activities, the Leadership Intensive will prepare participants to become successful executive-level leaders, contributing to the strengthening of opera companies across the country.

“There is a steep learning curve when new staff take their first positions guiding entire departments or opera companies because there is no formal training process for these high-stakes positions,” stated Marc. A. Scorca, president and CEO of OPERA America. “The Leadership Intensive is designed to bridge that gap by providing emerging leaders with valuable knowledge about the inner workings of the opera industry and with the skills and contacts necessary to develop their careers within the field.”

Thanks to a generous gift from American Express, Leadership Intensive participants pay no registration fees and receive a generous subsidy for travel and accommodations.

For additional information and to apply, visit www.operaamerica.org/leadership. The application deadline is Friday, January 6, 2012. Successful applicants will have demonstrated their dedication to a career in opera or arts administration (a minimum of three years of professional experience), with an undergraduate degree in music, theater or a related field. Master’s degree in arts administration or related preferred. Applications are open to both members and non-members.

For more information about OPERA America and its services, visit www.operaamerica.org.

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