General Director

GENOVESE VANDERHOOF & ASSOCIATES           

Cultural Management Consultants 

Position Announcement

GENERAL DIRECTOR

PITTSBURGH OPERA 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

*For the full Job listing, please see the attached document*

Pittsburgh Opera seeks its next visionary leader 

As it looks forward to its 87th season, Pittsburgh Opera—one of America’s most artistically respected and community-driven opera companies—invites recommendations and applications for the position of General Director. 

Our innovative and transformational leader, Christopher Hahn, retires at the end of the 2025-26 season.  During his 26-year tenure, first as Artistic Director (2000) and then as General Director (since 2008), Pittsburgh Opera has become a national model of creativity, inclusivity, and resilience.  His leadership has brought new vitality, audiences, and acclaim to the company.  

Pittsburgh Opera boasts a rich tradition of classic and contemporary operas, including world premieres; outstanding educational programs; an acclaimed Resident Artist training program; and a progressive outlook towards the future as a true community partner and resource.

Hahn’s era has been one of artistic daring, civic leadership, and organizational excellence. 

We seek a dynamic, strategic, inspired leader ready to carry forward this powerful momentum, while shaping a bold new operatic future: someone who can inspire trust, rally support, and orchestrate success both on and off the stage; a general director with a comprehensive blend of artistic vision, business acumen, and strategic capability.  

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the General Director serves as Chief Executive Officer of Pittsburgh Opera, responsible for both artistic direction and overall administrative leadership of this $7.8 million company.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:

Pittsburgh Opera seeks a general director who honors tradition while daring to innovate: someone ready to lead with heart, imagination, fiscal responsibility, and strategic clarity.

The new leader must be a charismatic, highly adaptive, intuitive yet disciplined individual who will approach the position with passion and creativity

In this role the General Director is responsible for:

• Setting and executing artistic vision and strategy in partnership with Music Director Antony Walker;
• Curating innovative and accessible seasons in multiple venues, blending beloved classics with bold contemporary works and new commissions;
• Overseeing fiscal management, fund-raising, marketing, and strategic planning;
• Cultivating relationships with individual donors, corporate sponsors, government agencies, foundations, the media, and other stakeholders;
• Championing education, community engagement, and equitable access to the arts;
• Leading and inspiring a highly experienced administrative and artistic staff and the Resident Artist Program, ensuring artistic and operational excellence across all departments;
• Collaborating with the wider cultural community in Pittsburgh, nationally and internationally;
• Working closely with a highly committed and active Board of Directors.  

The General Director is the primary leader in fulfilling the mission of the company, responsible for both top line and bottom line growth.  This person works in close collaboration with the Music Director, Managing Director, the Directors of Marketing, Development, Artistic Operations, Education, Community Relations, and Production, and the Board of Directors.

The new general director will have:

• A deep knowledge of the operatic repertoire and production;
• Prior leadership experience in an opera company;
• A proven track record in fund-raising and relationship-building;
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to serve as a compelling spokesperson for Pittsburgh Opera;
• A commitment to community engagement and artistic risk-taking;
• A broad network within the opera industry and the ability to attract top-tier creative talent;
• The tactical skill of identifying and discussing problematic situations, and executing difficult solutions with tact and diplomacy.  
• The ability to work collaboratively with Pittsburgh Opera’s long-tenured staff and  community partners, leading with respect, insight, inspiration, and wisdom.

Training in opera and/or business management is essential. In addition the new leader must have general knowledge of, and experience with not-for-profit arts revenue generation, operational and long-term planning, budget development, office administration, board relations, union negotiations, information systems, and human resource management.  

Compensation: $230,000-$250,000 with a comprehensive benefits package and  relocation assistance.

Deadline for Application: Monday, 15 September 2025