With extensive nonprofit and cultural experience, Stewart looks to expand the organization’s presence in New York while maintaining its stature in DC
Opera Lafayette is excited to announce the hiring of Austin Stewart as its new Director of Development. Stewart comes to Opera Lafayette after serving as Director of Operations at Chorus Pro Musica in Boston for the last two years. Prior to that, he worked as a key fundraiser for Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit. Stewart holds a doctorate in historical musicology and opera studies and has a background in early music performance.
As Director of Development, Stewart will be responsible for the oversight, planning and implementation of a comprehensive plan to broaden the donor base and increase overall financial support from individuals, corporations and foundations. The Director of Development is critical to the realization of Opera Lafayette’s strategic plan, which calls for the expansion of the organization’s exposure in New York among individual and institutional audiences and donors, while maintaining its presence in Washington, DC.
"Opera Lafayette is embarking on an exciting multi-year festival program,” say Dorsey Dunn and Nizam Kettaneh, Board Co-Chairs of Opera Lafayette. “We have chosen Austin Stewart, with his background in both performance and management, to help us tell our story and implement our strategic plan."
"I am delighted to join Opera Lafayette at this transformative moment for the art form and our audiences,” says Stewart. “Opera Lafayette's mission has an unbounded ability to present works that reveal universal truths in fresh and innovative ways with the grace of an expertly tuned period ensemble. With gratitude to our Board of Directors for their leadership, I look forward to working with them and the entire team to develop the resources and relationships needed to achieve the bold artistic vision of Opera Lafayette's Founder and Artistic Director Ryan Brown."
Stewart started in the new role on Monday, March 29. Opera Lafayette will continue hosting virtual and streaming programming until it is safe to perform again with crowds. We will restart our critically-acclaimed children’s programming, Opera Starts with Oh! on April 7th and will kick off another round of their popular Salon Series starting on May 6th.