The Wichita Grand Opera has named Alan Held its new Artistic Director.

In his new position, Held will be in charge of all artistic planning for the company beginning with the 2019-2020 season. The arrival of Held will reunite him with President/CEO of the company, Dennis Arnold. The two first met while performing “Shenandoah” at the Crown Uptown Dinner Theater in 1985.

This season Held will assist with the Wichita Grand Opera’s 2018-2019 season, which includes productions of “Swan Lake,” “Carmen,” “Noah’s Flood” and “Opera on the Lake.”

Held performed with the company when he appeared with his fellow WSU alumni, Sam Ramey and Joyce DiDonato, in the WGO 10^thAnniversary Concert in 2011.

The bass-baritone has appeared at The Metropolitan Opera, The Vienna State Opera, The Bavarian State Opera, The Paris Opera, The Royal Opera Covent Garden, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The San Francisco Opera, and The Washington National Opera.

He has also performed at BBC Proms, the Munich Opera Festival and the Salzburg Festival and has recorded with EMI, Orfeo, Arthaus Musik, and Deutsche Grammophon.