Performing Arts Production Director the University of Chicago Chicago Il

Meet Our Team

Executive Leadership

Ashley Magnus,

Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson

Full general Director

Ashley drives the strategy of COT'south long-term goals and sets the tone for our day-to-solar day interactions. She excels at building constructive community, individual, and institutional partnerships, and has leveraged her background in fundraising to grow COT's network of supporters, friends, and advocates.

Ashley began her career at Utah Symphony | Utah Opera as Production Coordinator for the opera'due south artistic department before serving in leadership positions in both events and development, including every bit Director of Corporate Partnerships. She earned her MBA from the University of Utah, with a focus in business organization strategy and project management, and participated in Opera America'south Leadership Intensive.

Lidiya is a fiercely committed advocate for Russian masterpieces, operatic rarities, and gimmicky works on the leading edge of classical music. She has conducted more than 40 world premieres, including 16 operas, and her strength as an innovative and multi-faceted collaborator has brought together the worlds of puppetry, robotics, circus arts, symphonic repertoire, and opera onstage.

Nether her leadership, COT has established the Vanguard Initiative, a multi-pronged investment in new opera that includes a 2-twelvemonth residency for emerging opera composers. A sought-after speaker, Lidiya has led sessions at the League of American Orchestras and Opera America conferences, and recently served every bit U.S. Representative to the Globe Opera Forum in Madrid.

Administration

Kelley Dorhauer, Managing Director

Kelley brings a wealth of experience working in Chicago's arts scene, including with Grammy Award-winning Eighth Blackbird, Blair Thomas & Co., Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, Rough House Theater, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ravinia's Steans Music Institute, and Northwestern University'south Bienen School of Music. Her background ranges from accounting, administration, and blueprint to customer service, sales, and operation.

With degrees in music business and music operation from Elmhurst University and DePaul University, respectively, Kelley is an active saxophonist and too does freelance consulting for non-profits and pocket-size businesses. Known for maintaining calm in any circumstance, she hopes to leave an banner of a smooth, efficient, and knowledgeable exchange with anyone she works with.

Brittany Nelson, Associate Manager of Artistic Operations

Brittany'southward discernment, creativity, and contagious love of music propelled her from the world of performance into the globe of administration, where her skills help to ensure that productions truly become near the art form.

Brittany began her career in arts assistants as the Performance Activities Assistant at Roosevelt Academy's Chicago College of Performing Arts, while running a successful private studio of violin and viola students since 2013. Brittany is committed to ensuring classical music's place in present civilisation while always striving to aggrandize its impact for future generations.

Kourtney Howard, Administrative Assistant

As COT's administrative assistant Kourtney is devoted to supporting the needs of COT's teams behind the scenes. Kourtney earned her caste in Advice and Issue Management in 2014 and has since helped organizations create more than efficient work environments through careful consideration and planning. Kourtney believes there'south always a solution. Her creative and innovative personality has led her to work in some of Chicago's about fascinating cultural institutions such as John One thousand. Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, and the Chicago Botanic Gardens. In her spare time Kourtney loves to arts and crafts and watch action movies. She hopes to bring her swell light and free energy to COT.

Development

Meaghan Stainback Smallwood, Managing director of Development

Meaghan is thrilled to join the COT team later 12 years in the development department at Lyric Opera of Chicago, starting as an intern and working her way up to major gifts. Her experience includes board and volunteer direction, events, multi-yr solicitations, and campaigns.

Meaghan studied vocalization performance at Northwestern University and maintains an active singing career every bit a member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Apollo Chorus of Chicago. She looks forward to partnering with this wonderful squad to bring COT to the next level!

Angela Yu, Development Manager

Angela has combined her background in both writing and performance fine art to abet for local arts organizations. She previously served as Development Coordinator for TBEY Arts Centre in Milwaukee, building the position from the ground up and implementing its first fundraising commission. She is an active member of the Chicago arts scene, having worked at Lyric Opera of Chicago and Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts.

Angela received her B.A. in Communications from Carthage College and MFA in Voice Operation from CCPA. She continues to perform classical vocalism repertoire in the Midwest area.

Marketing

Emmelly Villagran, Marketing Manager

Emmelly has been in the performing arts her whole life doing dance, choir, and acting well into university. Her fondest retention is a part of the Afterschool Matters program with Aguijon Theater, where she worked her way to the role of intern banana manager and met her future hubby in the process. For the past five years, she has been a content creator and director for different companies. She's worked with micro-influencers, minor brands, podcasters, record labels, and large institutions. Emmelly loves seeing how pop culture, fine art, and social media combine. And is especially interested in the different ways institutions apply these social platforms to bring their experience to the palm of your hand. Currently, she is continuing her instruction and completing a graduate certificate program with NYU studying arts management. She is delighted to bring together the COT team and cannot look to run into what this journey has in shop.

Production

Deborah Vandergrift, Director of Production

Deborah has worked in the performing arts for over xxx years, as a producer, production manager, general manager, stage manager, and a handful of other roles. Musical piece of work she has supported includes classical, jazz, opera, rock, and folk. While her feel also includes opera and dance, the majority of her work over the years has been in theater: classical, experimental, contemporary, immersive, etc. Joining COT returns Deb to her earliest beloved, imaginatively created opera. She holds an M.F.A. in Stage Direction from the University of California, San Diego and a B.A. in English and in Theatre from Oberlin College.

Joseph Staffa, Technical Director

Community Date

Gwen Kelly, Director of Community Engagement

A visionary marketer, Gwen Kelly is known for bringing passion to the corporate sector to impact social modify. In a career that has spanned over 25 years, she has congenital marketing and multifariousness programs infused with creativity at a number of well known companies including Walmart, American Family Insurance, Procter and Chance, Midas International and Singapore Airlines only to name a few. Gwen is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh where she majored in Circulate Communications & Film. She attended Illinois State University for graduate report in Mass Communications.

Equally a life-long learner, she has pursued her interests in business and theology at Webster University and Trinity International University. Amongst various cultural, educational and social bear on activities she committed to over the years, most recently Gwen has been the driving force in establishing the annual celebration of Black Music Calendar month in Northwest Arkansas. Since 2009, she has led the effort in bringing a diverse group of musical artists and legends to the region including Grammy honour winners similar the iconic Stax Records founder Al Bong, acclaimed Metropolitan Opera soprano Leona Mitchell and jazz and pop music genre innovator Kirk Whalum. And in preparation for what she calls her bonus/encore career, Gwen has actively pursued executive educational activity piece of work at Harvard University in its schools of business and divinity.

Veronica Chamberlain, Associate Director of Community Programming

Having taught music and directed choirs around Chicagoland for the past 5 years, Veronica strives to provide authentic, equitable, and quality music education to learners of all ages. While she is known primarily as a teacher, her focus, effervescence, and sensitivity have served her as a director, performer, and advocate.

Veronica has performed with a number of area ensembles, including the Chicago Chamber Choir, Wicker Park Choral Singers, and Common Pulse. Veronica acts as the Assistant Director of the Wicker Park Choral Singers, managing director of Crescendo Chorus of the Arlington Heights Senior Center, and as an active fellow member of Chicago Artists for Activity. With a passion for collaborative fine art, Veronica hopes to go along to empower the people of Chicago to create together.

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Source: https://chicagooperatheater.org/team

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