Dr. Jill Anderson, founder of Pacific Repertory Opera, announced she has decided to step down as General Director of the company as of June 1, 2008. She made the announcement at a private dinner party for top donors held Sunday, November 18 at the home of Bob and Duejean Garrett.
“It’s been a fulfilling and challenging role to establish an opera company here on the Central Coast, and to have produced so many wonderful operas over the past two decades,” said Dr. Anderson. “But when I step down next June, I will have been at the helm for twenty-three years. It’s time for me to take a break, and time for the company to have fresh vision.” She added that she will continue her active teaching career, both at Cuesta College and privately.
Anderson added that she was especially pleased to leave PRO in such sound financial condition. “Thanks to our 20-20 Vision campaign, launched in honor of our 20th anniversary, PRO now has an endowment of nearly $200,000, which helps insure the future of the organization,” she said.
The company will continue to operate with strong day-to-day leadership under Mikele Hushing-Kline, who will be staying on as Managing Director. Hushing-Kline was Administrative Director for Pacific Repertory Opera during her first three years with the company, and in the past year has taken on more management responsibilities.
Anderson announced that the PRO Board of Directors has identified a new Artistic Director for the organization. Robert Ashens, formerly General Director of the Eugene Opera in Oregon, will assume full artistic control over all aspects of opera productions, beginning in June 2008. Ashens is an accomplished conductor, pianist and vocal coach. He will be introduced to PRO supporters at the annual Opera Ball on January 20, 2008 at the Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo.
Two future PRO productions have already been planned and cast by Anderson. These include Carmen, which Anderson will conduct at the PAC, April 4 and 5, 2008, and The Marriage of Figaro, which Ashens will direct at the PAC, October 31 and November 1, 2008. Ashens’ first complete production, which has yet been selected, will be the spring opera in March of 2009.
“I’m thrilled to leave PRO in the hands of such a distinguished colleague,” said Dr. Anderson. “I’ve known Robert for the past five years through auditions in San Francisco, and have great respect for him. I know our audiences and artists will be impressed with his work and that he will help take PRO to the next level.”
Pacific Repertory Opera was founded by Jill Anderson and the late Jean Cook in 1985 and began producing fully-staged operas in 1987. PRO has offered more than forty productions to local audiences over the past twenty years.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
A note from Dr. Craig Russell, CalPoly
From: Craig Russell
Date: October 26, 2007 2:19:30 PM PDT
To: operajill@sbcglobal.net
Subject: Wow and wow again!
Dear Jill,
I just wanted to pass along my congratulations and kudos to you and PRO for an amazing performance last weekend. I went expecting to enjoy it, but I had no idea that it was going to be so fabulously strong and wonderful in every aspect. Really, you and all involved can be proud of a stupendous artistic success.
Renato was as good a performer as I've heard; fantastic voice, commanding stage presence, a musician in the deepest sense. That is Met quality. Wow. And he is not the only great performer that night; the entire cast was first-rate. Any major metropolitan center would be proud to have a production of that quality. Again, first rate.
Your conductor was stellar. The acting and staging was quite convincing. Goodness, if I start the list of things that were notable and aesthetically on the mark, I will spend my weekend writing my praises. (I don't have that much time. Sorry.)
I'll just have to summarize. The Verdi was a wonderful evening and, in opinion, has raised the bar yet again for the professional accomplishment(s) of PRO. We are luck to have the opportunity to hear that quality in our town. Wow.
Oh. One last thing. It was affordable! I really pushed this opera with my students, both in Music Appreciation and in Music of the Late Classic and Romantic Eras. I saw MANY of my students in the audience. They actually came. That is indeed important. Many concerts let the ticket price ascend to the "market" level, and as a result, the concert is attended by people with the median age of 50. Your opera performance, however, had a good number of students in the audience, all dressed up in tuxedos, fine suites, and elegant dresses. It was a delight to see my students all in their noble attire, attending a fabulous event. They could afford it. And they came. Again, that deserves enormous praise--and let the generous donors know that their support made it possible for our your adults at Cal Poly to become "infected" with that wonderful illness that we get when we fall in love with opera. I deeply appreciate that you made the ticket price affordable to students. THANK YOU.
And of course, thank you for a glorious triumph of a performance. I was lucky to have been there to witness it. Thanks.
Thanks to all at PRO, from top to bottom, from left to right, and through and through. Thanks.
your fan,
Craig Russell
Date: October 26, 2007 2:19:30 PM PDT
To: operajill@sbcglobal.net
Subject: Wow and wow again!
Dear Jill,
I just wanted to pass along my congratulations and kudos to you and PRO for an amazing performance last weekend. I went expecting to enjoy it, but I had no idea that it was going to be so fabulously strong and wonderful in every aspect. Really, you and all involved can be proud of a stupendous artistic success.
Renato was as good a performer as I've heard; fantastic voice, commanding stage presence, a musician in the deepest sense. That is Met quality. Wow. And he is not the only great performer that night; the entire cast was first-rate. Any major metropolitan center would be proud to have a production of that quality. Again, first rate.
Your conductor was stellar. The acting and staging was quite convincing. Goodness, if I start the list of things that were notable and aesthetically on the mark, I will spend my weekend writing my praises. (I don't have that much time. Sorry.)
I'll just have to summarize. The Verdi was a wonderful evening and, in opinion, has raised the bar yet again for the professional accomplishment(s) of PRO. We are luck to have the opportunity to hear that quality in our town. Wow.
Oh. One last thing. It was affordable! I really pushed this opera with my students, both in Music Appreciation and in Music of the Late Classic and Romantic Eras. I saw MANY of my students in the audience. They actually came. That is indeed important. Many concerts let the ticket price ascend to the "market" level, and as a result, the concert is attended by people with the median age of 50. Your opera performance, however, had a good number of students in the audience, all dressed up in tuxedos, fine suites, and elegant dresses. It was a delight to see my students all in their noble attire, attending a fabulous event. They could afford it. And they came. Again, that deserves enormous praise--and let the generous donors know that their support made it possible for our your adults at Cal Poly to become "infected" with that wonderful illness that we get when we fall in love with opera. I deeply appreciate that you made the ticket price affordable to students. THANK YOU.
And of course, thank you for a glorious triumph of a performance. I was lucky to have been there to witness it. Thanks.
Thanks to all at PRO, from top to bottom, from left to right, and through and through. Thanks.
your fan,
Craig Russell
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