Sarasota Opera Announces Five-Year Contract Extension and New Title for Richard Russell

June 2, 2021 – Sarasota

Sarasota Opera announced that Richard Russell’s contract has been extended through the 2025–26 season, and that his job title will change from Executive Director to General Director to better reflect the breadth of his responsibilities with the company. Russell will continue to collaborate with Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Victor DeRenzi in the planning of upcoming seasons.

Sarasota Opera Board of Trustees president Syble Di Girolamo said, “Sarasota Opera is fortunate to have had such an incredibly talented, passionate, and dedicated executive providing leadership for our company and our local arts community during the coronavirus pandemic. We are delighted that Mr. Russell will continue in his leadership role through the next five years as we face the challenges of the post pandemic recovery and our return to full-capacity programming.”

Russell’s first affiliation with Sarasota Opera began thirty-two years ago, when the young tenor joined the company’s apprentice training program. He sang in subsequent seasons through 1993 as a studio and principal artist. After a career in banking, he returned to the company serving as Director of Marketing in 2005-2010. After two years as General Director of Opera New Jersey, Russell was named Executive Director in 2012. 

Since then, Sarasota Opera has increased individual giving by over 50%, and more than doubled its endowment. Russell managed the fundraising and construction for the Steinwachs Artist Residences, which encompasses 30 units, housing up to 70 artists. Russell also engineered the purchase of an historic collection of opera costumes that now comprise the Sarasota Opera Costume Studio. Most recently he and Maestro DeRenzi oversaw the safe and successful completion of the company’s 62^ndseason as the only opera company in the United States to present a fully staged season in its theater through the pandemic. This included the first livestreamed operas from the Sarasota Opera House stage. 

Russell concludes, “I’m delighted to continue to be associated with Sarasota Opera which has been so important to my life. I look forward to continued possibilities and the evolution and growth of our company and our wonderful community.”