PB Opera names new general director

WEST PALM BEACH — Palm Beach Opera has appointed James Barbato, currently its acting general director, to the permanent post, the company announced Friday.

Barbato has been serving in the role since the abrupt and unexpected departure of General Director David Walker in mid-season. He served for five years as its director of artistic administration before stepping into Walker’s shoes in February.

“The entire Board is thrilled that James Barbato will be leading Palm Beach Opera into the future,” Board Chairman David Genser said in a prepared statement. “He brings a wealth of experience to the role, impressive business acumen, and a deep understanding of the art form and this community. Over the past decade at Palm Beach Opera, Jim has been instrumental to our successes, and it was obvious that there would be no need for an extended search because we already had the ideal candidate in house.”

Barbato joined Palm Beach Opera in 2015 as a production assistant, then was promoted to assistant director of artistic administration. He moved to Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico for four years, where he was assistant director of the rehearsal department.

A tenor who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., as well as a performance certificate from the Boston University Opera Institute, Barbato sang for Florida Grand Opera and Central City Opera in Colorado, and appeared in chamber music performances at the Tanglewood, Marlboro and Aldeburgh festivals.

He is credited with organizing the remarkable 2021 outdoor festival that Palm Beach Opera mounted at the iThink Financial Amphitheatre in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. That February gathering saw some of the country’s leading operatic talents — Matthew Polenzani, Isabel Leonard, Michael Fabiano, Ryan Speedo Green and others — come to West Palm Beach for performances of Puccini’s “La Bohème,” Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” and Mozart’s “Magic Flute.”

“There is no better place to produce opera than Palm Beach,” Barbato said in a prepared statement. “Our sun-soaked paradise is a vibrant cultural community of devoted patrons who love and support the arts. I have been so proud to work for this company with its legacy of excellence and long history of impactful educational programming in the region. It is an honor and dream come true to collaborate with our board and staff in this new role as we build on our momentum and bring Palm Beach Opera to ever greater heights.”

Palm Beach Opera’s upcoming season opens with Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” on Jan. 24-26, followed by Verdi’s “La Traviata” from Feb. 21-23. The season concludes April 4-6 with Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” All performances are at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. Current subscribers have until May 31 to renew, and new subscriptions will become available June 1. Single tickets go on sale to the public Sept. 1.

For more information, call 561-833-7888 or visit palmbeachopera.org.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Barbato named general director of Palm Beach Opera