Charles MacKay (arts administrator)

For the Scottish poet, see Charles Mackay.

Charles MacKay (born May 1950, Albuquerque, New Mexico) is an American arts administrator, currently the General Director of The Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico. He is the son of John and Margaret MacKay and a graduate of Santa Fe High School and of the University of Minnesota.

Early experience at The Santa Fe Opera

As a youth, he played the French horn, and played in the orchestra of Santa Fe Opera (SFO) at age 17. He was a volunteer with Santa Fe Opera at age 15, and began to work in administrative capacities with SFO at age 18.^[1] He worked at SFO as an orchestra librarian,^[2] in the business office and painting stage scenery.^[3] Subsequently with SFO, MacKay also held several administrative positions, including box office manager, assistant orchestra manager and business manager, the last position for 4 years.^[4][5]

Involvement with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

After leaving Santa Fe, his other administrative positions include a 6-year tenure as director of finance and administration for the Spoleto Festival USA, from 1978 to 1984. For 5 years, he was the manager for the American artists at the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.

However, in 1984, MacKay became executive director of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL), recruited to the post by OTSL's first general director Richard Gaddes. In 1985, MacKay was named OTSL's second general director, after Gaddes stood down from the post. During his tenure, MacKay presided over the growth of OTSL's endowment from USD $682,000 to $18 million, and maintained the company's record of never posting a deficit. He also raised funds for the construction of the Sally S. Levy Opera Center, the company's first permanent administrative facility, which was completed in 2006.

Appoinment to The Santa Fe Opera

In November 2007, SFO named MacKay its third general director to succeed Richard Gaddes. He concluded his OTSL tenure on 30 September 2008,^[3] and began his tenure as SFO general director on 1 October 2008.

While he had some involvement in the planning of the 2009 festival season, the 2010 season is based on MacKay's programming and contains nods of appreciation and dedication to John Crosby, SFO's founding director (by opening his season with Madame Butterfly, Crosby's 1957 opening night and the opening night of new 1968 theatre after the 1967 fire) and to Richard Gaddes (by including a Benjamin Britten opera, Albert Herring in the line-up).^[6]

Other achievements

MacKay is a 1997 recipient of the Arts Management Career Service Award. He has served as chairman of the board of Opera America since 2004, and concluded his tenure in that post in June 2008.^[3]

Notes

1. ^ Craig Smith (2009-07-02). "The circle will be unbroken". Santa Fe New Mexican (Pasatiempo). http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Pasatiempo/The-circle-will-be-unbroken. Retrieved 2009-10-09. 
2. ^ Driscoll, F. Paul (June 2008). "Hail and Farewell". Opera News 72 (12). http://www.metoperafamily.org/operanews/issue/article.aspx?id=4910&issueID=322. Retrieved 2008-08-09. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Miller, Sarah Bryan, "Opera Theatre’s Charles MacKay will take the helm at Santa Fe Opera". St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 9 November 2007.
4. ^ Craig Smith (2007-11-10). "Opera taps native son as director". Santa Fe New Mexican. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/SantaFeNorthernNM/Opera_taps_native_son_as_director. Retrieved 2007-12-08. 
5. ^ Matthew Westphal (2007-11-09). "Santa Fe Opera Appoints New General Director". Playbill Arts. http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/7341.html. Retrieved 2007-12-08. 
6. ^ The Santa Fe Opera's 2010 season outlin ed on its website

External links

• J.A. Van Sant, " 'Polish' Not Change for Santa Fe Opera". Opera Today blog entry, 27 December 2007.

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Name	Mackay, Charles
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Date of birth	1950
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