David DiChiera
David DiChiera | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 8, 1935 McKeesport, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | September 18, 2018 (aged 83) |
| Occupation(s) | Opera administrator, composer |
David DiChiera (
Career
Born in
Returning to UCLA, DiChiera worked there as an instructor and received his PhD in Musicology. In 1962, DiChiera joined the faculty of music of the newly established Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. From 1963 to 1965, he also held the post of assistant dean for Continuing Education in the Arts at Oakland University and was thereafter elected Chairman of the Department of Music.
In 1971 DiChiera became the founding General Director of
From 1981 to 1993, DiChiera was appointed Artistic Director of the Dayton Opera Association. In 1986 he was appointed founding General Director of the newly formed Opera Pacific in Orange County; he filled that post until 1996, when he resigned to devote more time to the opening of the Detroit Opera House.
In April 1996, opera singer Joan Sutherland cut the ribbon to celebrate the grand opening of the restored Detroit Opera House under DiChiera's stewardship.
During his career, DiChiera has served as a trustee for the National Institute of Music Theatre and as a board member of the American Arts Alliance. He has been a panel member for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and chairman for the Opera/Musical Theater Panel. He has also chaired several national music conferences. DiChiera chaired the second annual conference of the International Association of Lyric Theatre, convened in Verona, Italy, and was twice elected vice president of that organization.
He has two daughters with Karen VanderKloot DiChiera, daughter of Robert VanderKloot, a Detroit amateur musician and himself a founding member of the Michigan Opera Theatre.[2] Karen VanderKloot DiChiera, a composer, educator and stage director, is also a founder and director of Michigan Opera Theatre's Department of Community Programs.[3]
In February 2016, DiChiera announced his retirement, effective in July 2017.[4]
In April 2017, DiChiera was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.[5] He died at his home in Detroit on September 18, 2018.[6]
Works
His Four Sonnets (1965), to verses by
Awards
DiChiera was awarded the Atwater Kent (UCLA) and Gershwin Awards. The Detroit News elected DiChiera "Michiganian of the Year" in 1979. In 2000 he received the Bridge Builder's Award by the Partners for Livable Communities, a Washington–based civic leadership organization. In 2005, the National Association of Negro Musicians honored DiChiera for his continued support of African American artists and in 2016 the President of the Republic of Italy conferred upon him the Commander in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. DiChiera delivered the commencement speech at the University of Michigan's graduation ceremony in 1998 and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree. He received honorary doctorates from Wayne State University, Oakland University and Marygrove College. In 2010, DiChiera received the NEA Opera Honors.[7]
References
- ^ "Biography". Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ Dowty, Douglass (June 16, 2005). "Robert VanderKloot, Royal Oak: Amateur musician helped form hearing disorder center". The Detroit News. Retrieved August 27, 2008. [dead link]
- ^ Community Programs Staff Archived October 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine at the Detroit Opera House
- ^ Mark Stryker (February 18, 2016). "MOT founder David DiChiera to retire in July 2017". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- ^ David Lyman (April 13, 2017). "Michigan Opera Theatre's David DiChiera has pancreatic cancer". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- ^ "David DiChiera, opera powerhouse and influential Detroit booster, dies" by David Lyman, Detroit Free Press, September 18, 2018
- ^ "NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman Announces Recipients of the 2010 NEA Opera Honors" Archived 2010-12-07 at the Wayback Machine, National Endowment for the Arts, June 24, 2010
External links
- David DiChiera, Founder & Artistic Director Archived April 30, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Michigan Opera
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