The Glimmerglass Festival has announced the appointment of Caleb Wertenbaker as its new Managing Director, effective March 16, 2026.

In his new role, Wertenbaker will partner with Artistic & General Director Robert Ainsley to oversee the Festival’s operations, finances, and administration, supporting the organization’s continued artistic and institutional growth.

Wertenbaker has a multidisciplinary background spanning opera and theater production and has over 25 years of leading teams and managing complex budgets and touring productions,

In a statement Ainsley said, “Caleb brings a powerful combination of artistic understanding, strategic thinking, and operational leadership to this role. His ability to bridge creative vision with financial and organizational clarity will be invaluable as we continue strengthening the Festival’s future. That he has such deep existing knowledge of the local community is an added bonus.”

Wertenbaker added, “I’m thrilled to be joining an organization that has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories of opera are here. As a child, I attended productions at the high school, and I still vividly remember the opening season at the Alice Busch Opera Theater — especially Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. My family has deep roots in Cherry Valley, and I’ve long admired Glimmerglass as one of the country’s great summer opera festivals. I’m delighted to join the Glimmerglass family and look forward to becoming more deeply involved in this extraordinary community.”

The 2026 Glimmerglass Festival is set to run between July 10 through August 17 and will present such works as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!,” and Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly.”