Amici, the young friends of Opera Birmingham, continues the countdown to the opening night of Hamlet and the celebration of Opera Birmingham's 60th Anniversary season with our 60 Days of Opera countdown! (You can catch up on all our posts by visiting the Amici facebook page, following us on twitter @AmiciBirmingham, or searching the hashtag #60DaysofOpera.)
Today we are thrilled to introduce you to Opera Birmingham's new General Director, Keith Wolfe! Keith joins Opera Birmingham following a 15-year rise through the world of arts administration. We are so excited to have him! Amici President Abbott Jones caught up with Keith to learn a little bit more about him:
Keith, tell us a little about yourself, for those who have not met you yet.
I was born in Virginia and was planning to be a chorus teacher, until I auditioned to be in the chorus for the local opera company. After that, I decided to pursue a career in opera and went to Maryland Opera Studio (at the University of Maryland) for my master's degree. About halfway through my degree, I realized that my personality and long term goals really didn't fit being a singer, and I was hired by my mentor to work with him in administration after I finished my degree. After a year in Shreveport, I took a position as Managing Director of Fort Worth Opera, where I worked for 14 years.
What is it about Opera Birmingham that intrigued you and made you want to come here (to indulge your inner foodie is a perfectly acceptable answer)?
I was really encouraged by the enthusiasm of the Board and excited about all of the opportunities for us to engage with the community in new ways. And I've heard about the foodie culture in Birmingham, which is definitely a plus!
What was your first opera?
Seeing Don Giovanni when I was a junior in high school.
Tell us about your "Aha!" moment when you fell in love with opera.
When I was a sophomore in college, I was in the chorus of my first opera - Turandot. That was the moment.
What is your favorite opera/role?
I have a lot of favorites. Turandot has a special place since it was the first show I was in. I loved singing Nemorino (the last role I sang in grad school before I decided to move into administration). Dead Man Walking had the biggest impact when I saw it for the first time.
Do you have any "guilty pleasure" music that you love? (Full disclosure: the interviewer confessed to loving Taylor Swift to break the ice on this one.)
Country music! Although I've fallen out of listening to it. When I was in college, some friends took me out dancing and taught me how to two-step and line dance. This was back in the days of "Achy Breaky Heart."
If you hadn't been in the opera industry, what profession would you be doing?
I'd probably be teaching chorus or doing something with computers. I'm a big IT geek!
Last, and arguably most important, question. Declare your football allegiance.
I'm going to plead the Fifth! Since I'm from Virginia and taught at TCU for a couple of years, I'm not going to choose sides between Auburn and Alabama. ;-)
A wise man. We look forward to getting to know and work with Keith more over the coming months and years. Exciting things are on the horizon for Opera Birmingham! Like the opening night of Hamlet, which is just THREE DAYS away now! You can still get tickets here (use the code HAMLET50 for 50% off).
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