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David Bennett is the General Director of San Diego Opera. Under his leadership since 2015, the Company has embarked on a series of community-based initiatives including a citywide Listening Tour series, free public performances, and family-friendly operas to better serve the diverse San Diego region. In 2016, the Company debuted its wildly popular dētour Series, which explores the expressive nature of opera with the potency of intimate theater. Prior to San Diego Opera, David was Gotham Chamber Opera's Managing Director and Executive Director, and prior to that was at Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), Lower Manhattan’s center for dance education, creation, and performance, where he served as Managing Director. While at DNA, he led a $5.7 million capital campaign for DNA’s new home and oversaw the organization’s emergence as a significant producer of modern dance in New York City. Mr. Bennett was a Senior Consultant with Arts Resources International, where he provided a range of advisory services to non-profit arts organizations, including project feasibility studies, financial operating estimates, economic impact and market analyses, and fund-raising feasibility studies.

Before working in Arts Administration, he enjoyed a successful career in opera, appearing as a baritone with a number of companies and orchestras throughout the United States, including The Dallas Opera, the Dallas Symphony, Skylight Opera Theater, and Florentine Opera of Milwaukee. Mr. Bennett holds both an M.B.A. and an M.A. in Arts Administration from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX and has served on the Board of Directors of OPERA America.