On Site Opera has announced Piper Gunnarson as its next General Director/CEO, effective May 1, 2023.

Gunnarson has served as the company’s Executive Director since 2017 and will now assume the added responsibilities of overseeing program planning and the broader vision and strategy for the organization.

In a statement, Gunnarson said “It has been such a privilege to lead On Site’s administrative growth for the past six years as Executive Director, and to collaborate with Eric and Geoff to drive such inventive opera programming. I am incredibly honored that Eric and the board have entrusted me to carry this organization forward by building upon his founding vision and bringing my own familiarity with OSO to ensure institutional continuity as we look ahead to our next chapter. We are in an excellent position to continue innovating the art form with our site-specific opera productions, and to explore new programming possibilities that can expand our artistic footprint and deepen our civic impact.”

Gunnarson was hired as the company’s first full-time employee and has since built and led a team of seven dedicated employees. During her tenure as Executive Director, she has more than doubled the company’s budget in part by substantially increasing funding from government and foundation agencies, in addition to establishing and executing a successful annual gala, among other things.