Famed opera star Greer Grimsley has been named Honorary Chair of the annual Opera Naples Gala.

The announcement was made in January with the baritone set to be the Honorary Chair for the upcoming gala on Feb. 25, 2020.

“It’s my pleasure to show my support of a young opera company like Opera Naples that is fast establishing a standout reputation,” Grimsley stated in a press release. “Small city opera companies are rare.  It’s even rarer that they grow to full maturity. It’s essential we support them, especially in their growing years. They inspire the next generation of young performers, attract new audiences vital to a community’s cultural health and well-being, and help ensure the survival of this much-loved art form.”

Grimsley has enjoyed a reputable international career that has taken him to such companies as the Royal Swedish Opera, Bregenzer Festspiele, Teatro Colón, the Bayreuth Festspiele, the Teatro Real de Madrid, the New National Theatre Tokyo, and the Gran Teatre del Liceu, among others. He has become one of the great modern Wagnerians and in 2018-19 he headlined the Metropolitan Opera’s Ring Cycle.