Canadian Opera Company, General Director

We are pleased to announce that the Canadian Opera Company has selected Ian Derrer to serve as its next general director, effective July 1, 2026. 

Derrer currently serves as Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO of The Dallas Opera, a position he has held for the past eight years. Founded in 1957, the Dallas Opera gained early international prominence by showcasing Maria Callas in La Traviata soon after opening and is known for premiering major talent in the United States, such as Teresa Berganza, Jon Vickers, and Joan Sutherland.

During Derrer’s tenure, the company strengthened its artistic and financial position, experienced significant audience growth, increased individual donor support, and recently completed a multi-million-dollar challenge grant initiated last July that required The Dallas Opera to raise $25 million in new or increased gifts in order to unlock the matching contribution. Under Derrer’s leadership, the company exceeded that goal by $4.5 million, bringing total fundraising to $54.5 million, the largest campaign in the company’s history.

Derrer previously served as General Director of Kentucky Opera and spent eight years at Lyric Opera of Chicago, building deep technical and operational expertise as Director of Production and Head of the Rehearsal Department. An accomplished artist himself, he is a trained baritone with degrees from Brooklyn College, Northwestern University, and Southern Methodist University, who began his career working professionally as a singer, stage manager, and assistant director.

Read the full announcement here.

Sarah James and Ben Tobin led this search with Keith Mason and Siobhan Hanley.