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http://www.dallasopera.org	The Dallas Opera Dallas, Texas has appointed Keith Cerny as General Director
Keith Cerny was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Sheet Music Plus. He was previously Executive Director (Chief Operating Officer) and Chief Financial Officer of the San Francisco Opera, a Partner with Accenture, a Senior Engagement Manager with McKinsey and Company, and a Senior Associate with Touche Ross. He has also been an opera coach, conductor, and accompanist. Dr. Cerny holds a Ph.D. in Economic Development Studies from The Open University, U.K.; a Master of Business Administration degree with distinction from Harvard Business School; and Bachelor of Arts degrees with highest honors in Music and Physics from the University of California at Berkeley. The Organization Since its founding 50 years ago, The Dallas Opera has been a preeminent source of artistic excellence and community engagement throughout North Texas and the nation. As its mission states, the Company strives to produce opera of uncompromising quality while also educating and enriching the life of the community and embracing its diverse cultural heritage. The Opera not only presents masterpieces of the standard repertoire but also produces exceptional non-traditional opera and music theaters and perpetuates the art form by commissioning new American works. With an operating budget that will approach approximately $15 million in the next few years, The Dallas Opera currently mounts five or six productions annually totaling 20 to 30 performances, and is the largest arts employer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The past several years have seen increases in revenue, seats sold, and subscription renewals, with flexible subscriptions nearly tripling -- all of which demonstrate an ever-growing enthusiasm and esteem for the Company’s work. With the opening of the new Winspear Opera House in the fall of 2009, The Dallas Opera is poised for a momentous period of change that will bring opportunities to expand even further its influence, impact, and reputation within North Texas as well within the larger arenas of national and international opera. In 1957, several civic leaders in Dallas sought to create a resident opera company for their city. After gaining the assistance of Lawrence Kelly, formerly associated with Chicago’s Lyric Theater, the Dallas Civic Opera was chartered in March of that year. Mr. Kelly named his long-time associate, Maestro Nicola Rescigno, as artistic director, and the Opera opened with an inaugural concert by Maria Callas the following November. After the death of Lawrence Kelly in 1974, Maestro Rescigno assumed the mantle of General Director in addition to his other responsibilities until three years later, when Plato Karayanis was named to the directorship. During the latter’s 23-year tenure, the Opera doubled its performances; gained financial stability and increased its endowments; and opened a 69,000-square-foot Rehearsal Production Center, which was eventually named in honor of Mr. Karayanis and his wife. Also under his leadership, the Opera began producing original American works and staging classic operas using novel approaches, initiatives that grew out of the desire to attract wider audiences of diverse backgrounds. As a champion of new work and new performers, the organization has been and continues to be committed not only to celebrating the great compositions of the past but also to bringing the present and future of opera to audiences. The Dallas Opera has become a major factor in the national and international cultural reputation of Dallas, in part because it has been home to the American premieres of five operas and two world premiers, and has presented through the years numerous international stars in their American debuts, including Dame Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballé, Jon Vickers, and Plácido Domingo, as well as director and designer Franco Zeffirelli. Community outreach has long been one of the Company’s key priorities, and numerous education programs bring the art form to a variety of young audiences. Children’s touring productions, special performances of full-stage productions, and teacher training based on the Opera’s integrated curriculum materials are among the organization’s highly-regarded offerings. In addition, The Dallas Opera was selected as one of four American opera companies to participate in a pilot program through Young Audiences, Inc. Supported by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Endowment of the Arts, this project has given teachers access to the best practices in opera education through CD-ROM and the Internet. The Opera has collaborated with Southern Methodist University to develop the Emerging Artists Program and a presentation of the 35-minute one-act opera, Red Carnations, designed to introduce students to the art form while also sparking discussion of “stranger danger” and Internet predators. The Company also launched its first Young Artists Program to advance education and opportunities for tomorrow’s talented young singers, and also developed Opera in a Box: Follow Your Dreams, a classical version of A Chorus Line, which has delighted audiences both young and old. Since its inception, The Dallas Opera has held performances in the Music Hall at Fair Park, a 3,420-seat venue designed in the Spanish Baroque style with Moorish architectural influences. In 2005, ground broke on the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, a new facility that will combine venues for music, opera, theater, and dance within a 10-acre urban park to create a dynamic cultural destination in downtown Dallas. The Opera has begun preparations for its move into the Center’s state-of-the-art opera house designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster and named for Margot and Bill Winspear, who provided the $42 million-gift that made the facility possible. Designed specifically for performances of opera and musical theater, the Winspear’s principal performance space, the Margaret McDermott Performance Hall, will be a 21st century reinterpretation of a traditional European opera house and, with a capacity of 2,200, will provide for a more intimate experience than currently offered at the Music Hall. The Dallas Opera offices will be located on the Winspear Opera House’s upper floors, which, in addition to eliminating annual rental costs, will streamline daily operations and improve overall efficiency by keeping both the performance and administrative sides of the Company in the same building. The Winspear will open to the public in the fall of 2009. The Opera will feature Verdi’s Otello as the first work to be presented as well as the world premiere of Moby Dick, a commission by noted American composer Jake Heggie. The Dallas Opera has an ambitious strategic plan for the coming decade and beyond. The number of productions will grow from five to eight per year, including those at the Winspear as well as others produced for smaller venues. More original productions will be developed, with the goal of at least one commissioned world premiere every four years -- an effort intended both to bring higher visibility to The Dallas Opera and, when appropriate, to be marketed to other companies. Education will also continue to be an important trust. One aspect will be the strengthening of the Young Artists Program, continued outreach to schools and institutions of higher education in the region, programs that will tour to educational institutions, various lecture series, and “Figaro in Flip-Flops,” an informal off-season program. In light of the need for increased revenue to support these initiatives, The Dallas Opera will both augment its branding efforts, in part through targeted marketing to the broader community, and ramp up substantially its current sustenance and endowment fund raising efforts. With the recent resignation of the former General Director, who left to head the New York City Opera, The Dallas Opera seeks a new chief executive officer who will continue and enhance the Company’s mission of providing both standard repertoire and non-traditional opera, including commissioning new American works and extending the Opera’s reach in the community. Responsibilities The General Director will join The Dallas Opera at a pivotal point in its history. Building on the Company’s rich heritage of both introducing the art form to the city and presenting new operas and new performers to the community, he or she will inherit the recently-opened Winspear Opera House. The opening of the Winspear will bring attention and new interest to the Opera by providing a platform for substantial growth and maturation that will allow the Company to expand its scope and profile both locally and internationally with the creation of new productions and the development of wider audiences. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the General Director will have three fundamental responsibilities: Championing the art form to current opera lovers and subscribers; to latent audiences that might become members and donors if properly approached and communicated with; to the opera world generally to assure that the finest productions and artists are brought to Dallas; to the North Texas region, which is a rich potential source of new aficionados and contributors, through a variety of outreach and education programs; and to peer organizations in the greater Dallas arts community. Overseeing development efforts and spearheading the solicitation and securing of large gifts for endowment and program in order to assure the long-term sustenance and success of the Company. This individual will not only communicate and build relationships with others but, more importantly, will embrace being with a variety of people and presenting to them the case for substantial financial support. Managing the enterprise. The General Director will tie the vision and mission of The Dallas Opera to the practical day-to-day management of artistic program, finances, human assets, and market development. By exercising leadership and management capabilities, he or she will combine solid financial stewardship with an understanding of the need for prudent risk and investment as a means of moving the Company into the top ranks of level-one American opera companies. Accordingly, the General Director will have a broad-based and comprehensive understanding of the totality of the Opera and will bring intuition and common sense to guiding it through a period of growth and change. Specific duties will include: Providing vision, strategic direction, and day-to-day leadership to The Dallas Opera. Positioning the organization properly in the market and communicating with the public through media, community organizations, educational enterprises, and similar channels in order to strengthen the Opera’s public profile and strong brand equity, increase its goodwill, secure funding for its operations and growth, and otherwise fulfill its mission. Identifying and securing major gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations, thereby making the Opera less dependent upon periodic earned revenue swings and thus able to continue to build its presence and programs. Increasing earned income for the Company by designing and leading marketing efforts that will attract new audiences, grow both new subscriptions and renewals, and generally raise the number of seats sold. Developing and executing plans that will address marketing, development, financial, information technology, pedagogical, and public communications needs. Recruiting, leading, motivating and managing a staff of professionals and energetic volunteers who are united in achieving a common goal. Maintaining a high visibility among peer institutions nationally as well as with other cultural organizations in the region in order to discern and capitalize on opportunities for collaboration, marketing, and membership that will increase revenue and keep the Opera a vital institution. Interfacing with Opera America and other associations to ensure the continuation of a close and mutually beneficial partnership. Prospective Candidates The Dallas Opera seeks a gifted executive who will lead the Company through a once-in-a-generation opportunity to have a profound impact on a community and its culture. Understandably, there is a preference for an individual who is steeped in the field and knowledgeable of all its elements. Nonetheless, the new General Director may emerge instead from alternative venues. As the search commences in mid-2009, the Search Committee has developed five possible scenarios to guide the project: The opera model. The most likely scenario, this view assumes that the new General Director will come from the world of opera. He or she will have had a variety of experiences in both the art form and its management whereby the individual brings a global knowledge of people, program and opportunities. It is believed that a person with such a background, combined with strong interpersonal skills and business skills, will be prepared to lead all aspects of the Company, including running its operations and building its endowment. The performing arts model. Similar to the classical model, this scenario envisions an accomplished executive from a background in the performing arts other than opera per se -- although an appreciation for and basic knowledge of opera would be a distinct plus. Such an executive will have had senior leadership positions in successful metropolitan not-for-profit organizations dedicated to the production and presentation of the performing arts, ideally with a musical component. Background raising substantial funds, the ability to become quickly knowledgeable of opera, and a personality that resonates with the culture and tenor of the Dallas area will be critical to this person’s success. The accomplished executive model. Because leadership and management of a complex and growing enterprise is a critical element of the General Director position, it is possible that candidates will emerge from the senior ranks of the for-profit world. Under such a scenario, a person who is both well-versed in opera and knowledgeable of the unique dynamics of leadership in a voluntary association could become the chief executive of The Dallas Opera by virtue of his or her ability to inspire and motivate a variety of constituents and to manage the day-to-day aspects of the Company with deftness. Desired attributes would include a passion for social mission, a love of opera, a willingness to work with volunteers in a governance structure that is in many ways unlike that of a corporation, highly developed marketing skills characterized by a sense of innovation and outreach to unproved or untested markets, and the ability to articulate a compelling vision that will generate significant resources for the Company’s success. The academic administrator model. An example of this category is a dean of a school of music or performing arts. Such a person is typically well-versed in fields that include opera; is proficient managing a variety of constituents and operating within budgets; and is often responsible for fund raising and external communications as the “face” of the organization. The performer model. This possibility envisions a performer ready to leave his or her stage career who brings a unique combination of breadth of knowledge, global profile, innate business acumen, notable interpersonal skills, organizational savvy, and a personal presence that attracts followers and excites donors. Candidate Qualities The Dallas Opera seeks first and foremost a strong leader. Among the ideal characteristics of this person are the following: Leadership One who leads by force of intellect, personal presence, understated confidence, excellent communication skills, and a compelling vision that inspires others. A person whose passion for the art form is so infectious that it energizes current stakeholders and motivates those new to the field to become personally involved. A creative and strategic thinker with enthusiasm, commitment, perseverance, and the ability to tell the story and “sell the vision.” Accessible, approachable, and open to a variety of viewpoints while being true to one’s convictions and tenacious in seeing an effort through to completion. A fair and personable individual who takes an open and collaborative approach to volunteers and staff, but who also has the discipline and tough-mindedness to assure that institutional goals are consistently met. One who is collegial and comfortable leading others by way of process instead of mandate and by cooperation rather than imperative. Experience A career track that establishes an unassailable sense of credibility, which in turn provides the General Director with the stature both to speak authoritatively and to generate enthusiasm and “followership” among constituents. Ideally, at least 15 years of experience comprising a comprehensive portfolio of leadership positions in American opera marked by successfully transforming organizations during a time of change. Experience cultivating and raising funds from donors, including background with multi-million dollar campaigns that include major gifts, corporate donations, and planned giving as a part of capital and endowment fund raising. A background in marketing and being the “face” of an organization in the community. Experience working collaboratively with active and involved board members in a not-for-profit environment. A history of managing staff for optional performance. Skills and Knowledge Well-developed political savvy that allows the General Director to work successfully with and among people of wealth and influence, as well as the social skills required to forge strong relationships with key individuals. An accomplished communicator who is comfortable presenting both one-on-one and to large groups in order to make a compelling case for the Opera and to raise funds for the organization. Skills in multiple languages are a plus for the global opera industry. The ability to identify unique expansion opportunities, to develop strategic plans in order to take advantage of them, to generate funds for their development, and to implement those ideas through new programs. Talent for applying a “marketing mindset” to extending an organization’s reach to new and existing audiences. Ideally, excellent relationships in the world of opera that provide ready entrée to the field in order to assure that the Company will attract the highest quality performances and performers. Strong organizational skills, business sense, and financial acumen, with the ability to understand the reality behind the numbers and to manage accordingly. A hands-on, involved style that leads this executive to be aware of vital development matters at all times while still delegating to an experienced and responsible staff. Personal Traits A person of unquestioned integrity who honors commitments and deals with people in a straightforward fashion. An individual whose personality and temperament align with an American city that genuinely appreciates the arts and gives generously for their support, seeks excellence in every aspect of its culture, and embraces creativity and innovation. Secure in one’s self and accomplishments, and sufficiently assured to invite disparate views and perspectives. A person who relishes the challenge of leading a complex organization through a period of revitalization and forging its emergence among the top levels of its peer institutions. Passionately committed to the Opera’s mission. Engaged, personable and collaborative. A positive outlook, an even temperament, and a good sense of humor. Emotionally stable and unflappable under pressure. A good listener. Other Considerations Compensation: An attractive compensation competitive with comparable organizations. Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred. Location: Dallas, Texas. Travel: Moderate, including internationally.
Updated: Jul 23, 2010