Michigan Opera Theatre Announce New Chairman, Restructures Board of Directors

By David Salazar

Michigan Opera Theatre has announced that Ethan Davidson will be the new Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors, effective Nov. 14, 2019.

Davidson is currently the Chairman of Grants Committee of the William Davidson Foundation as well as one of the Directors of the Motown Museum. He is a professional singer and songwriter who has recorded 10 albums and has always been passionate about music.

Davidson is set to succeed Rick Williams, who spent 17 years at the helm. Williams led the company through the 2008 recession, managing to obtain a forgiveness of $7 million of debt in return for $11 million in cash within six months. He was one of four people to receive Opera America’s National Opera Trustee Award.

Davidson is well-aware of the shoes that he will have to fill.

“This will be a serious challenge and a real opportunity, that’s why I took this role,” Davidson said in a press release. “I get excited when I think about all of the compelling new productions which will grace our stage and other communal spaces, the wider dialogues in which we will participate as we bring our artistic voice to issues of communal concern, and the new friends we hope will fill Detroit’s beautiful opera house. We can never rest on our laurels. We have work to do, but we’re starting from a very good place, and I’m excited to be part of the team.”

The company also unveiled a vote to restructure the Board of Directors, which will now include three Vice Chairs, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. The Vice Chairs include JoAnn Danto, Peter Oleksiak, and Ankur Rungta. Enrico Digirolamo will be the Treasurer with Gene P. Bowen as the Secretary.

Categories

BusinessNews