“San Diego Opera has placed its longtime general and artistic director Ian Campbell on paid leave after a three-decade tenure that has been rocked in recent weeks by public and internal criticism over his role in the decision to close the company,” writes David Ng in Friday’s (4/25) Los Angeles Times. The San Diego Symphony performs as the orchestra for the opera company. “The opera said in a news release Friday that Campbell and his ex-wife, Ann Spira-Campbell, who is a high-ranking administrator in the company, have both been placed on leave.… The Campbells will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operations of the organization, but they are still being paid and are technically still part of the company. Friday’s announcement comes a week after an exodus of 13 company board members, including president Karen Cohn. The opera’s board has been divided over the March decision to close, with a contingent of members working to raise money to save the company.… The opera said that Keith Fisher has been named chief operating officer and that he will manage the staff and resources of the company at this time.”
Posted April 28, 2014
