Annapolis Opera Selects New General Manager

Longtime Annapolis-area arts leader Kathy Swekel has been named general manager of the Annapolis Opera Company effective Oct. 15, according to a news release.

Together with Artistic Director Ron Gretz, Swekel will continue to develop the organization’s reputation for artistic excellence, arts education and community outreach, the release says.

Annapolis Opera Board of Trustees President Lee Finney said, “After an exhaustive search, we are thrilled to have found just the right person in our own community who will move the Opera forward into a new chapter with the leadership skills needed to sustain and grow the availability and affordability of live opera into the next generation of opera lovers.”

In her previous positions, Swekel focused on enhancing the performing arts in the greater Annapolis community, especially for youth, through her work with the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Children’s Theater of Annapolis. Prior to these positions, she cofounded the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble of international virtuoso artists, worked with major orchestras nationwide in concert production and produced recording projects in several genres.

Swekel is a 30-year resident of Anne Arundel County and lives in Arnold with her family.

»Kathy Swekel, general manager of Annapolis Opera Company. Submitted photo