Out & About
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A Lavish Farewell
In the style of the company itself — intimate, unpretentious, and lively — the New York City Opera bid farewell to its departing artistic and general manager, Paul Kellogg, at a gala on March 15.
“To be honored by people one has worked with for 11 years is a very touching thing. It was also a great party,” Mr. Kellogg, who leaves his post in June, said.
As much as he was moved by the tributes to his tenure — delivered by singers, administrators, patrons, as well as the cultural affairs commissioner, Kate Levin — Mr. Kellogg placed the focus of the evening on the talents in all quarters of the company.
“What institutions need to have a forward look, and the way to look forward is with Gerard and the people of this company,” Mr. Kellogg said, referring to his successor, Gerard Mortier, who is currently the director of the Opera National de Paris. “I am so happy he’ll be taking this job.”
Mr. Mortier was “present” in the form of a video address played on the stage of the New York State Theater before the premiere of the new production of “Pirates of Penzance,” featuring Sarah Jane McMahon as Mabel, Marc Kudisch as the Pirate King, and Kevin Burdette as the Sergeant of Police.
“From my office in Paris, it is with great pleasure that I join all those who honor you tonight for your great achievement,” Mr. Mortier said. “You did it, as always, with jovial modesty and with a lot of invention. It is with great respect that I will take over your legacy to lead the New York City Opera to a new decade as the ‘people’s opera’ for the fascinating community of New York.”
Mr. Kellogg said that while he has had conversations with Mr. Mortier, his role was not to give advice. “He knows what it is he wants to do, and he’ll do it,” Mr. Kellogg said. “Companies need to change. They become refreshed by a change in artistic leadership; it’s time for that to happen.”
It was a warm and revved-up night for the chairwoman of City Opera, Susan Baker, who will oversee the transition in leadership. “From my perspective, I’ve probably never felt more optimistic about the future of City Opera than I feel today,” Ms. Baker said. “It’s bittersweet — because I adore Paul. But I’m also a friend so I know he’s not leaving my life.”
The opera announced a new fund, named after Mr. Kellogg, to finance Baroque opera productions, which are part of Mr. Kellogg’s contributions to the company’s repertory. $1.5 million has been raised so far.
“Let’s see, there are 40-odd Handel operas, and we’ve done 12, so there’s plenty left for Gerard,” Mr. Kellogg said.
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