Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto – Alexander Neef, General Director of the Canadian Opera Company, announced today two new senior staff positions: Director of Production and Chief Advancement Officer. Peter W. Lamb has been hired as Director of Production, and Christie Darville, the COC’s current Director of Development, has been promoted to Chief Advancement Officer. The two new positions reflect the increased emphasis the COC is placing on both its artistic output and fundraising efforts.
“The COC is moving in new and more international circles, and while the production and fundraising arms of the company have been remarkable, we are now growing at a rapid rate and need to augment and broaden the talent we have,” Neef says. “While we already have extremely high standards, we now have to reach even higher to match those of other companies we are collaborating with, such as the Met, the Royal Opera House, La Scala and the Bolshoi.”
As Director of Production, Peter W. Lamb will oversee the COC’s myriad and complex technical and production department responsibilities. His role will include strengthening the company’s increasingly active production department as the COC works as a co-producer with opera companies around the world, as well as diverse artistic and creative teams. Mr. Lamb’s 40-year theatrical career includes serving as a technical director and production manager (Stratford Festival; Livent), theatre consultant and planner (Kimmel Center, Philadelphia; Roy Thomson Hall; Salle Pleyel, Paris; Jazz at Lincoln Center), and producer (Dancap). He also has established his own consulting firm (PWL Associates) to work on numerous international theatre productions. Mr. Lamb begins work with the COC on April 29, 2013.
“We’re very pleased that someone with Peter’s talent is joining the COC. His expertise will be an enormous benefit to the company’s production activities,” Neef says. “Peter’s background and experience is vital to us as we are now working with so many of the world’s largest and most respected opera companies and artists.”
Christie Darville’s promotion reflects the increased role of fundraising within the company. As Chief Advancement Officer, she is charged with the responsibility of fulfilling the company’s mandate to meet significant financial goals that the artistic objectives entail, as well as enhance the COC’s engagement and stewardship with new and existing patrons and loyal supporters.
Neef says, “In Christie, we have a fantastic fundraiser and administrator. The company now currently raises approximately $10 million in private and corporate donations, and while impressive, we have the capacity to generate more support through new and more comprehensive fundraising programs. Our artistic plans reach far into the future and our fundraising plans are essential in order to realize them.”
2013-04-24
Toronto: COC appoints a new Director of Production and new Chief Advancement Officer