Lyric Opera of Kansas City Announces Retirement of General Director and CEO Deborah Sandler Kemper
Deborah is the first woman to serve as general director and CEO of Lyric Opera of Kansas City, founded in 1958, and the third general director in the company's history.
Anthony Durone, president of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City Board of Trustees, has announced that Deborah Sandler Kemper, the company's General Director and Chief Executive Officer since 2012, will be retiring effective June 30, 2027, after 15 years of leadership.
Sandler Kemper shared, “These past 14 years have been an extraordinary journey. It has been a rare gift to serve in the company's leadership and witness its growth, evolution, and expanding influence on the Kansas City arts landscape. Helping to shape and mature this outstanding cultural treasure and increasing Lyric Opera's visibility among our peers across North America has been a true privilege and an unforgettable adventure. I am deeply grateful to an extremely talented staff, artists, board members, donors, and audiences whose passion and support made this journey possible.”
Kemper Sandler joined Lyric Opera of Kansas City on July 1, 2012 as its General Director and CEO. She is the first woman to serve as general director and CEO of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, founded in 1958, and the third general director in the company's history. During her tenure, Sandler Kemper has been responsible for a period of tremendous growth and a remarkable increase in the company's artistic standards. The General Director oversees both the artistic vision, including all aspects of production planning, as well as the strategic direction and management of the company.
Durone stated, “Deb's legacy is without question. She is an inspiring leader, always in pursuit of artistic excellence and connecting that excellence with our current and prospective audiences. Due to her leadership and passion, she leaves a dynamic, financially sound, and community-minded opera company for future generations to enjoy.”
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The tenure under Sandler Kemper will leave a tremendous and sustaining legacy. These accomplishments, while each laudable individually, collectively were a natural outgrowth of her tireless dedication to Lyric Opera's vision: To make Lyric Opera of Kansas City indispensable to the public through transformational opera experiences and broad service that capture the hearts and minds of our communities. Her contributions to artistic excellence, company growth, and community connections are remarkable.
ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
Under her leadership, the Lyric has widely expanded its offerings, presented groundbreaking new work, developed several co-productions with many notable opera companies, and brought to Kansas City important works by American composers, and much, much more.
She has commissioned five operas and stage works, many of which have achieved record-breaking attendance and national critical acclaim. New productions include …When there are nine (2020), honoring the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, Amahl and the Night Visitors (2022), Capulets and the Montagues (2013), Cavalleria Rusticana (2023), Pagliacci (2023), and La Cenerentola (2025). This tradition will continue with Aida in the 2026-2027 season.
Furthermore, five new co-productions, including Eugene Onegin (2017), Magic Flute (2013), Marriage of Figaro (2016), Of Mice and Men (2026), and The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (2022), have enabled Lyric Opera to not only develop new collaborations with other companies but also expand and elevate its reputation and further strengthen the art form.
Performances of several new works, new to Kansas City, include As One (2018), Everest (2017), Silent Night (2015), Dead Man Walking (2017), and The Brightness of Light (2024). These productions clearly demonstrate the deep local talent for artistry and craftsmanship, expanding the canon.
Lyric Opera's production of The Shining (2023) by composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell was recorded at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and released by classical music label Pentatone in spring 2024, garnering Lyric Opera's first-ever GRAMMY nomination, with Sandler Kemper serving as executive producer. With that formal recognition, Sandler Kemper was invited to join the Recording Academy in 2025.
She is also responsible for creating the Explorations Series, which featured innovative programming that combined classical and popular music genres, commissioned new chamber opera works, and attracted diverse audiences while transforming the state-of-the-art production building in the East Crossroads neighborhood into an intimate black-box performance space. Productions include Elvis Costello's The Juliet Letters (2016), High Fidelity Opera (2018), As One (2019), Penelope (2019), ...When There Are Nine (2020), and Baseball: A Musical Love Letter (2021).
Under her guidance, Lyric Opera reenvisioned its learning/education department and embarked on a series of commissions of operas for families and children, including Sketchbook for Ollie (2022), The Haberdasher Prince (2024), and Maya and the Magic Ring (2025). And in 2026, Sandler Kemper, with artist-producer Alyson Cambridge, produced Langston Hughes: A Lyrical Life (2026), an exploration of the famed poet and Missouri native. All these productions toured schools, community centers, houses of worship, and other places where families and children gather, reaching tens of thousands of individuals.
Her commitment to elevating the artistic values of the productions through higher-caliber casting, with attention to both major and smaller roles, and to bringing world-renowned creative artists, many of whom are women, into the industry has resulted in a record number of Lyric Opera artist debuts. No fewer than five female composers for new works, six female conductors, and a remarkable 23 female directors and more than 30 female designers and choreographers have made their Lyric Opera debuts. Highly respected creative female artists such as renowned director Francesca Zambello, director Shawna Lucey, director Allison Moritz, conductor Jane Glover, director Keturah Stickann, and director E. Loren Meeker have elevated the profile of Lyric Opera of Kansas City, resulting in improved production values, raising the professional quality and diversity of the casting and creative artists.
She served as the driving force behind the creation of OPERA America's Women's Opera Network, as its founding chair, and continues to mentor and convene women across the industry to expand their leadership opportunities.
COMPANY GROWTH
In the past 14 years under her tenure, the company saw record-breaking growth, not only financially but also in deepening artistic and production experiences. Lyric Opera has improved and created new revenue streams, including remaining open while creating new and engaging works during the pandemic.
Throughout the pandemic, Sandler Kemper's leadership kept Lyric Opera on a steady path, while creating new digital programming, such as Opera in Eight Parts (2020), as well as new live productions such as the new puppet version of Amahl and the Night Visitors (2020) and the world premiere of Baseball: A Musical Love Letter (2021) featuring the beloved local folk musician, Danny Cox.
Most recently, the company also successfully returned to four mainstage productions at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, an unheard-of feat during a time of industry contraction.
DEEPEING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Under Sandler Kemper's leadership, the Lyric Opera began a Resident Artists program in 2016 to support and develop up-and-coming opera talent, who in turn perform widely in the community. These artists perform in mainstage productions, as well as at community events, and in family productions, such as Amahl and the Night Visitors, which was performed with puppeteers, High Fidelity Opera, emulating radio operas and radio sound effects, and The Haberdasher Prince, one of the three new operas created by the Lyric Opera for all-ages audiences in touring productions to local schools and libraries.
Asking the question, “Who will be in our audiences in 2050?', Sandler Kemper had a vision for a new company commitment to the future of the arts in Kansas City and expanded the core programs of the company, creating the Learning Department's new education and community engagement offerings, which emphasize teaching empathy, social-emotional learning, and artistic literacy for all ages. The world premieres and community tours of new works such as Maya and the Magic Ring and Langston Hughes: A Lyrical Life utilized a place-based strategy, removing barriers to accessibility. Lyric Opera partners with community organizations—such as houses of worship, community centers, libraries, and schools—throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area to bring these works to their spaces free of charge. Through this programming, many audience members encounter opera for the first time.
In addition to the four mainstage productions, she strengthened the education and community engagement experiences around each production. Each carefully crafted for the community, programs such as Opera Plus, Community Conversations, Opera Book Club, and Opera Dives Deep, offer an opportunity to connect both personally and meaningfully to these works of art and, through this process, to forge connections to our humanity and the humanity of others.
Julia Irene Dennie – Kauffman, chairman, president & chief executive officer of the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation and former board member of Lyric Opera, shared, “We are immensely grateful for Deborah's visionary leadership, which has been truly transformative for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and has earned respect across the entire opera industry. She successfully navigated the most challenging of times over the past six years, creating vital new revenue streams and significantly expanding the Lyric's educational and outreach programs. As the first woman to lead the Lyric, her profound impact and lasting legacy will continue to benefit our community for years to come, and she will be deeply missed.”
According to Durone, the Board of Trustees has formed a committee to conduct a national search for its new general director.
ABOUT DEBORAH SANDLER KEMPER
Deborah Sandler Kemper became General Director and CEO of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City in 2012. Named one of the top 30 music professionals by Musical America in 2022, she is recognized throughout the opera industry for her strong commitment to artistic excellence, company growth, and fostering deeper community connections.
Before joining Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Sandler Kemper served as General Director of Kentucky Opera, where she earned acclaim for productions of exceptional artistic quality. Under her leadership, the company implemented a strategic plan that expanded its audience, strengthened financial stability, and broadened its educational and outreach initiatives. She established a young artist training program and developed innovative educational offerings that introduced opera to young audiences through puppetry. Known for assembling well-balanced casts and recognizing emerging talent, Sandler Kemper was among the first to cast Joyce DiDonato, Anthony Roth Costanza, and Eric Owens, among others, early in their careers.
Sandler Kemper began her career as General Manager of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and later became General Director of Opera Festival of New Jersey, where she oversaw both artistic and administrative operations. In New Jersey, she was recognized for elevating the company's artistic standards, expanding its capacity, and cultivating community awareness through innovative artistic initiatives and dynamic education programs. During her tenure, the company's budget tripled, reflecting her effective leadership and visionary programming.
A tireless advocate for the advancement of women in opera, Sandler Kemper helped catalyze the first field-wide discussion on women's leadership in opera, hosted by OPERA America in 2015 in Washington, D.C. She went on to serve as the founding chair of OPERA America's Women's Opera Network, continuing to mentor and convene women across the industry to expand their leadership opportunities.
Sandler Kemper was inducted into the Recording Academy in 2025 and served as Executive Producer for Lyric Opera's landmark, GRAMMY-nominated recording of The Shining, released on the Pentatone label in 2024.
Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sandler Kemper earned a bachelor's degree in music from Temple University and a Master of Arts in Musicology from New York University, where she also completed her doctoral coursework. She has pursued additional studies at the Mandel Center for Nonprofits at Case Western Reserve University and at the Fundraising School at Indiana University.
ABOUT LYRIC OPERA OF KANSAS CITY
Established in 1958, Lyric Opera of Kansas City is one of the world's premier regional opera companies and brings high-quality live operatic performances to the Kansas City region. Renowned for its dedication to excellence, the GRAMMY-nominated Lyric Opera of Kansas City presents a diverse repertoire, featuring original-language productions from the traditional opera canon alongside contemporary and American operas. Lyric Opera is committed to lifelong learning through robust education, family, and community engagement programming. Through innovative initiatives and commissions, these programs deepen humanistic connections, artistic literacy, and social-emotional learning. Lyric Opera of Kansas City remains an integral part of the cultural fabric of Kansas City and the surrounding region.
For Tickets: kcopera.org or (816) 471-7344
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