San Diego Opera has announced the extension of David Bennett’s contract as Joann Clark General Director and CEO for another five years, continuing his tenure through the 2029–30 opera season.

Bennett joined San Diego Opera in 2015, appointed by the Board of Directors to revitalize the organization and has since brought a bold vision centered on innovation, inclusion, and community engagement.

Among his accomplishments include the launching of the dētour Series in 2016, a bold programming strand that presents intimate, adventurous works exploring opera’s expressive power beyond traditional formats. He also conceived of and led “Opera Hack,” a competition for theatre makers and technology innovators to advance the production of opera. The company also co-produced a filmed version of Daniel Catán’s opera “La hija de Rappaccini” and produced “El Milagro del Recuerdo.” Bennett also co-commissioned and co-produced “El último sueño de Frida y Diego,” and Nicolás Lell Benavides’s “Dolores.”

In a statement, Linda Spuck, President of the Board of Directors said, “David’s visionary leadership has been transformational for San Diego Opera. He’s commissioned and brought new, innovative operatic works to San Diego and the field of opera, introduced us to world-class singers, developed outside-the-box programming like our dētour series, figured out how to produce and perform during the pandemic—all of this and more while maintaining strong relationships with his staff, the Board of Directors, five labor unions, our audience, and treasured supporters. We are thrilled to announce that David will be with us in San Diego for at least the next five years.”

Before joining San Diego Opera, Bennett held leadership positions at Gotham Chamber Opera and Dance New Amsterdam.

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