The Dallas Opera’s former General Director Plato Karayanis has died at the age of 93.

In a statement, the company said, “We are saddened to learn and share the news of the death of Plato Karayanis, former General Director of The Dallas Opera. He served the company faithfully from 1977 to 2000 and his impact will be forever felt within the Dallas Opera family. Throughout his entire life, Plato was an innovator in the arts, and we are honored to have benefited from his leadership for more than twenty years. His memory lives on in the Karayanis Rehearsal Production Center, as well as an impressive legacy of artistic achievements.”

Ian Derrer, Kern Wildenthal General Director & CEO added, “The Dallas Opera pauses in reflection of one of the greats in operatic administration. Plato was a vibrant, passionate, and extremely thoughtful leader. Our sincerest sympathies go out to his beloved wife Dorothy and their family.”

Born in Pittsburgh on Dec. 26, 1928, Karayanis studied voice at Carnegie-Mellon University and opera at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He went on to work in opera administration and production technology at the Hamburg State Opera and snag baritone roles and worked as a stage director in Europe.

In 1954, he was made the head of the rehearsal department at the San Francisco Opera and from 1965 to 1967 he was an assistant stage director and company administrator of the Metropolitan Opera.

In 1977, he became General Director of the Dallas Opera, where his tenure saw the expansion of both the traditional and contemporary repertoires. During his time with the company he brought works from Strauss, Falla, Barber, Argento, Britten, and Handel and such artists included Cecilia Bartoli, Renee Fleming, Sharon Sweet, Frederica von Stade, Alfredo Krauss, Denyce Graves, Maria Guleghina, and Waltraud Meir.

During his time in Dallas, he became the president of the board of directors of OPERA America.

In May of 2000, after serving twenty-three years as General Director, he retired from his post in Dallas. For the next six years consulted for the Palm Beach Opera, first as artistic consultant and then as interim General Director. He also successfully led the search for a new General Director. Karayanis also served as Interim General Director and CEO of Opera San Antonio for fifteen months in 2013 and 2014.