The Kentucky Opera announced Thursday that general director Ian Derrer would be leaving the organization and assuming the role of general director and CEO of the Dallas Opera. Derrer will assume the new role in June.
The move was officially announced early Thursday afternoon at the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House by Dallas Opera chairman Holly Mayer.
Derrer joined the Kentucky Opera in September 2016 and oversaw two successful seasons. During his time, the opera performed classic productions, like “The Barber of Seville,” and contemporary works, like “Dead Man Walking.”
Additionally, Derrer demonstrated commitment to diversity by hiring women directors to stage all three mainstage productions of Kentucky Opera’s Brown-Forman 2018-19 Season.
“Ian has been terrific to work with and we enjoyed having him at Kentucky Opera,” said Kentucky Opera Board Chairman William A. Blodgett Jr., in a news release.
“He brings a great deal of artistic experience and creative thinking to the tasks at hand and has impressed us all with his boundless energy, his personal charm, and his confident approach to the job."
The search for the opera’s next general director is already underway and Blodgett expects to have someone selected prior to Derrer’s departure.