About My New Position at Tapestry New Opera Works

Those of you who know me in real life are probably already aware of this, but I've kept it quiet on the blog so far - tomorrow I'm starting a three-month residency as Associate Managing Artistic Director [Update: aka Leadership Legacy Intern] at Tapestry New Opera Works. Here's a bit more about the position and its creation from a recent Tapestry press release:

This exciting new program will be an unique opportunity for six Associate Managing Artistic Directors to train under one of Canada’s most important opera leaders, Wayne Strongman. Over a period of three years six Artistic Administrators will train to become Managing Artistic Directors through the Leadership Legacy Programme, one of the first of its kind in the arts sector. The $250,000 donation which will fund this program is the largest single donation in Tapestry new opera’s history.

Tapestry occupies a unique position as the leader of new work development in the Canadian opera sector and centers its operations on a philosophy of collaboration with its internationally renowned Composer‐Librettist Laboratory and New Work Studio Company.

As a 30 year company with a Founding Artistic Director/Conductor who has always been intimately involved with the operational side of the company’s $1.2 million business, and who has occupied the unique role of Managing Artistic Director for the past 5 years, Tapestry is reasonably concerned with leadership succession planning. With the assistance of this major donation Tapestry will engage a series of mid‐career arts professionals to assist the company in creating the appropriate job description for an eventual successor and a strong future for the leading Canadian company dedicated to the creation, development and performance of new opera works.

In total, there will be six people appointed to this position over the next three years and I'm honored to be the first. I'll be working at the AMAD position this summer in addition to teaching probably a single day of students at the Royal Conservatory. When September rolls around, I'm back to my regular duties at the RCM, albeit with a highly expanded toolkit. Wish me luck tomorrow!