Hawaii Performing Arts Festival Appoints Shayna Leahy As Artistic Administrator

Following an extensive national search, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival (HPAF) has named Shayna Leahy, current Director of Production, the festival's new Artistic Administrator, effective August 26, 2019.

In her previous post as Director of Production, Leahy was responsible for planning and supervising all production activities, personnel, and facilities throughout HPAF's Summer Festival. For two years, she worked extensively with various island vendors, building and cultivating new and preexisting relationships with much success. Under Leahy's guidance, the festival mounted productions of Don Giovanni, Suor Angelica/Stabat Mater, The Tragedy of Carmen, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Company, and The Mikado, which recently earned third place in both The American Prize in Opera Performance (Professional Division) and National Opera Association Production (Division VI) Competitions.

"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Shayna as our new Artistic Administrator. Shayna's impeccable efficiency and team mentality make her an ideal candidate for this position," says Justin John Moniz, Executive Director. "The search committee was tasked with a unique challenge, as to find someone with an incredibly diverse skill set-one who could augment the unique strengths of our current team. We found it all in Shayna."

Leahy brings significant a wealth of experiences to the HPAF ohana, having most recently served for two seasons as Director of Production. In addition, she has garnered great acclaim for her work as a stage director. Leahy's productions of Carmen, Aida, Otello, Il trovatore, Turnadot, and Madama Butterfly, have all been seen at Wichita Grand Opera in previous seasons. Most recently, she made her New York City Opera debut in 2018 with Il Barbiere di Siviglia in Bryant Park. As an arts administrator, Leahy previously worked as Assistant Director of Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance in New York.

"I am excited to be joining the stellar artistic and administrative team at Hawaii Performing Arts Festival," says Leahy. "I share their enthusiasm and vision for the continued excellence and growth of the Festival, and I have really enjoyed the summers that I spent with them as Director of Production. I look forward to taking a more active role in Festival administration and organization, especially interacting with all the participants, faculty, and patrons throughout the year. I hope I can offer a more streamlined approach that will facilitate open communication, collaboration, and creativity for everyone involved."

Now preparing for its 16th season on the Big Island, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival brings some of the most talented young musicians from Hawaii, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Europe to Hawaii Island each summer for intensive study and performance training, affording young artists the opportunity perform with professional musicians under the guidance of some of the world's most established teachers and mentors. Auditions for the 2020 Summer Festival will be announced in early-September via the festival's website.