Nashville Opera names Kira Florita Senior Director for Advancement

Nashville Opera, a nationally-recognized and critically-acclaimed performing arts organization, has named civic and business leader Kira Florita to the newly created position of Senior Director for Advancement. The company has strategically focused on collaborating with a wide range of organizations and businesses to extend the reach of the art form, and Ms. Florita's experience will assist in these endeavors. In addition, all of the company's fund raising activities will be overseen by Ms. Florita when she assumes her duties at Nashville Opera on Friday, August 27.

"Opera perfectly balances music, song, art, and drama into a cohesive and emotional experience," says Carol Penterman, Executive Director and CEO of Nashville Opera. "Kira Florita will help establish new partnerships to allow even more people to experience and appreciate the true nature of opera. She is a respected and dedicated leader and will be a valuable asset in furthering Nashville Opera's goal to establish the company as a role model for innovative design, unique programming, and cultural enrichment throughout the region."

"Working for a performing arts organization is an ideal progression for me, both personally and professionally, and I am very grateful that it will be with the Nashville Opera," says Kira Florita. "I am impressed by everything I learned about the organization."

Kira Florita Biography
Kira Florita returns to her "classical roots" by joining Nashville Opera: her mother was a top violinist for the Denver Symphony. Florita's father was a music professor and accomplished clarinetist who founded what became the International Clarinet Society, and in addition to her stepmother also being a clarinetist, her brother is currently the clarinet section commander for the President's Own US Marine Band. Ms. Florita most recently served as the Executive Director of Leadership Music and is an alumni of the Class of 2000. Prior to Leadership Music, Florita had been Director of Special Projects for the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, served as one of the founding executives for the launch of Lost Highway Records (Universal Music Group), and directed the marketing for the 8-million selling O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. In addition, Florita also co-authored the photo-essay book Hank Williams: Snapshots from the Lost Highway, and received a Grammy Award for producing The Complete Hank Williams 10-CD boxed set. She has two grown children and resides in the Green Hills area of Nashville.

About Nashville Opera
Nashville Opera, Tennessee's largest professional opera company, is dedicated to creating legendary productions and programs. Among the most successful regional companies in the United States of America, Nashville Opera has presented three different world premiere operas since its inception in 1981. Main stage performances are presented at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and play to over 17,000 people annually. Nashville Opera's extensive education and outreach touring program reaches over 30,000 students throughout Middle Tennessee. These projects are supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the Metro Nashville Arts Commission.

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