General Director & CEO Heather Kitchen Departs Calgary Opera in December 2023
July 27, 2023 (Calgary, Alberta)
The Board of Directors of Calgary Opera announced today that General Director & CEO Heather Kitchen will be leaving the organization on December 31, 2023.
In January 2019, Calgary Opera’s Board of Directors appointed Heather Kitchen as Managing Director & CEO in a co-leadership position with Artistic Director, Bramwell Tovey. Kitchen agreed to serve as General Director & CEO in the autumn of 2020 when Tovey stepped down due to illness.
In her tenure with the company, Kitchen has been responsible for leading the organization through many transitions, including a global pandemic, the search and appointment of current Artistic Director Jonathan Brandani, as well as the organization’s successful 50th Anniversary Season. She has been responsible for overseeing the production of nine Main Stage opera productions (two Canadian Premieres) along with eleven auxiliary productions (one Canadian Premiere). Kitchen has been integral in maintaining a spirit of innovation and a commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Of her time at Calgary Opera, Heather Kitchen stated, “I am honoured to have served as a leader of Calgary Opera for the last five years. I have had the opportunity to partner with outstanding artists and staff and work closely with an engaged board. We are all proud of the progress we have made and sharing our work with our incredible, supportive audiences.
Having managed four major arts organizations in Canada and the United States over the last thirty-plus years now feels like the right time to step away and make room for the next generation of arts leaders to carry the mantle. Calgary Opera is in great hands with Jonathan as its artistic visionary, and I look forward to seeing what exciting and innovative work the company continues to produce.”
A few of Heather’s accomplishments with Calgary Opera include:
The expansion of Calgary Opera’s Education and Community Engagement programming, including the creation of the Digital School Tour, Community Ambassador, and Opera 212 programs.
Establishing Opera Labs, a series of workshops for new opera works that engaged and employed many artists over the pandemic and resulted in the generation of new works during an otherwise stagnant time for many arts organizations.
Reorganization of the McPhee Artist Development program to include additional training in acting for the camera, lip-syncing with digital opera recordings, fight training, language skills development and more.
Strengthening Calgary Opera’s capacity to make data-driven decisions around artistic programming and business strategies.
Alongside the Board of Directors, leading the development of a five-year strategic plan.
Heather Kitchen will continue to lead the company and complete planning work on several projects for upcoming seasons during the search for her replacement. After her departure in December 2023, she will continue her role as an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School at the University of Connecticut and looks forward to engaging in other projects.
Calgary Opera Board Chair Don Edie expressed his immense gratitude for Heather’s outstanding work during her tenure. “Heather Kitchen brought stability to the company and demonstrated great leadership, particularly during the pandemic and its aftermath. We will continue to grow and flourish based on the foundation she built. The Board and I wish Heather much success in her future endeavours.”