The Opera Family Holiday Card
It has been a few weeks since my last posting and for that I apologize. Like so many of us I’ve been wondering how to fit all of the things that I need to do into only 24 hours each day with the clock ticking down to 2009 with seemingly increasing rapidity. Between the opera and friends and family this is quite a hectic time of year.
I sat down to write this posting and realized that it sounded very much like the year-end, sum-it-all-up family newsletters that I get with some of my personal holiday mail. That started me thinking about how much this organization is like a family to me—a strange one to be sure, but a family nonetheless. So please pardon me as I extend the metaphor.
There is a new member to welcome to the opera family. Michael Havlicek has joined us as our new Executive Director. We are all extremely pleased to have him with us in the office. He doesn’t know very much about opera, but the staff is more than happy to expand his musical horizons. Michael comes to us from many years of work in the field of development (that’s fundraising for you non-industry types) and staff management. He dropped in on our first chorus rehearsal for The Elixir of Love and stayed to listen last Monday evening. I forget sometimes that not everyone is used to having 25 to 50 people singing to them on a weekly basis. It is a mighty powerful thing at close proximity and a good part of the reason why I love what I do for a living. Judging from his reaction, I think Michael is going to love it, too.
With Michael’s arrival we are bidding a fond farewell to Juanita Sharpe, who has been our Interim Executive Director since August. She isn’t going far, though, as she has joined the Opera’s Board of Directors. See, I told you this opera stuff is addictive!
We also lost a member of the opera family. Dawn Wilson, half of the dynamic duo who gather and create the props for Opera Grand Rapids and for many, many other performing arts companies in West Michigan, lost her fight with cancer last month. Some of you may remember Dawn and her husband Michael from the profile article in the program for Carmen last fall. She was far too young to leave us and will be missed by many people for a long time to come.
The staff sat down today to sign, seal and stamp the Opera’s holiday cards. It is a festive occasion where we bring treats to share, play some seasonal music and enjoy ourselves for a while. When you work in nonprofit arts, this is as close to a company holiday party as it gets. It is more like a small family gathering, but I don’t think I’d trade it for a fancy catered affair. Our staff sports some pretty good cooks!
The Opera offices will be closed from December 23rd until January 5th so that we can all spend time with our real families. We will stop in occasionally to get the mail and check on the computers, but don’t expect anyone to answer the phone until next year. I hope that everyone has a happy, safe and healthy holiday season—whatever form or flavor you celebrate—and that 2009 brings music into your life.
I sat down to write this posting and realized that it sounded very much like the year-end, sum-it-all-up family newsletters that I get with some of my personal holiday mail. That started me thinking about how much this organization is like a family to me—a strange one to be sure, but a family nonetheless. So please pardon me as I extend the metaphor.
There is a new member to welcome to the opera family. Michael Havlicek has joined us as our new Executive Director. We are all extremely pleased to have him with us in the office. He doesn’t know very much about opera, but the staff is more than happy to expand his musical horizons. Michael comes to us from many years of work in the field of development (that’s fundraising for you non-industry types) and staff management. He dropped in on our first chorus rehearsal for The Elixir of Love and stayed to listen last Monday evening. I forget sometimes that not everyone is used to having 25 to 50 people singing to them on a weekly basis. It is a mighty powerful thing at close proximity and a good part of the reason why I love what I do for a living. Judging from his reaction, I think Michael is going to love it, too.
With Michael’s arrival we are bidding a fond farewell to Juanita Sharpe, who has been our Interim Executive Director since August. She isn’t going far, though, as she has joined the Opera’s Board of Directors. See, I told you this opera stuff is addictive!
We also lost a member of the opera family. Dawn Wilson, half of the dynamic duo who gather and create the props for Opera Grand Rapids and for many, many other performing arts companies in West Michigan, lost her fight with cancer last month. Some of you may remember Dawn and her husband Michael from the profile article in the program for Carmen last fall. She was far too young to leave us and will be missed by many people for a long time to come.
The staff sat down today to sign, seal and stamp the Opera’s holiday cards. It is a festive occasion where we bring treats to share, play some seasonal music and enjoy ourselves for a while. When you work in nonprofit arts, this is as close to a company holiday party as it gets. It is more like a small family gathering, but I don’t think I’d trade it for a fancy catered affair. Our staff sports some pretty good cooks!
The Opera offices will be closed from December 23rd until January 5th so that we can all spend time with our real families. We will stop in occasionally to get the mail and check on the computers, but don’t expect anyone to answer the phone until next year. I hope that everyone has a happy, safe and healthy holiday season—whatever form or flavor you celebrate—and that 2009 brings music into your life.
posted by Cat W. at
1:27 PM
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