Center for Contemporary Opera announces Francesca Campagna as new General Director

 

Effective September 25, the Center for Contemporary Opera (CCO) named Francesca Campagna the new General Director of the organization. She is the first woman and the first immigrant to take the position since the organization was founded in New York in 1982.

Although born in Italy, the Manhattan-based artistic manager is set to oversee strategic planning and development for CCO, both in the United States and globally. Part of her position includes expanding partnerships, bolstering education and promoting fundraising programs for the company.

“I am delighted to take on the challenge of making sure that we at CCO are always contemporary, and at the absolute forefront of our craft,” Campagna said in a press statement. “My passion is bringing stories to stages. Opera embraces social issues, illuminates complex situations and allows us to feel deep emotions. I love helping people to experience that and guiding artists in this vision.”

The Center for Contemporary Opera’s mission is to produce and develop new contemporary operas and incite an interest in “operatic and music-theater culture among the public.” Although contemporary opera is not as well-funded or popular as traditional opera, CCO makes an effort to produce operas written by emerging and underrepresented composers.

Throughout her career, Campagna has been involved with more than 300 productions over the course of 12 years, working with some of the most renowned artists in opera including Franco Zeffirelli, Graham Vick, Claudio Abbado, and Gustavo Dudamel. She also helped establish the Royal Opera House Muscat in 2011.

With her deep knowledge of opera and impressive expertise, the founder of CCO Richard Marshall said the organization is excited to take this step forward under her leadership.

“I can think of no one better than Francesca to continue the work of the Center for Contemporary Opera,” Marshall said to i-Italy. “It demands deep respect for opera and the bravery to keep pushing forward – she will do that brilliantly.”

 

 

Campagna said in an interview with Opera Wire that opera has the unique ability to connect people emotionally. With CCO she hopes to bring together traditional opera with some modern influences as well.

“To me there has never been a more exciting time to be in opera and expand the relevance of this vibrant art form,” Campagna said in her press statement. “At CCO we are uniquely able to do that with new commissions and by bringing contemporary work to new stages in New York and the world.”

–Becca Most