Dallas Opera CEO Ian Derrer (Photo by Thanin Viriyaki)

Ian Derrer discusses leading The Dallas Opera into its new season with appeal to all audiences

RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com

In the empty backstage area of the Winspear Opera House, Ian Derrer walks with a slight bounce in his step as he explains the different zones of the working space. There is construction happening, individuals milling about on their way to another part of the house. Derrer greets each person with genuine enthusiasm.

When we get to the stage, he doles out some behind-the-scenes insight: “You can literally cut into the floor, and you have a trap,” he said pointing to an area of the stage. “We have a big show coming up in a couple of years with a big trap, so we’ll have to cut and then just plug it back up.”

Derrer is the general director of The Dallas Opera which, quite literally, lives in Winspear. Along with its season of mainstage productions residing on the very stage he’s describing, TDO offices in the higher floors of the opera house.

Before heading up there, he stops at the stage management console.

“This is kind of ground zero for a show. This person coordinates upwards of 40 stagehands during an event from lights and sets and it’s remarkable,” he said.

In October, TDO will launch its 2024/25 season with Verdi’s La Traviata in October. Before getting into the productions the rest of the season contains, our conversation starts with something easy — and that’s because opera can still be a hard sell to some, whether it’s too fancy, too elevated or simply not always in English.

Derrer breaks it down to explain how opera is more accessible than we think.

“One of the great obstacles was always the language, whether or not you spoke or could understand whatever the language of the opera was. And if you weren’t singing something in English, that presented a challenge,” he said.

“A lot of people new to the opera still assume that they’re not going to understand. That they’re not going to be able to follow along,” he continued. “You’ve got an audience that you’re trying to attract that maybe has never been to an opera before. We have to approach them very differently.

“But the one thing that I just keep coming back to is that no matter what, we are in show business and it’s about entertainment.”

English supertitles above the stage help, too, with following along.

“From my perspective as general director, you have to think in terms that there are two clear types of audience members: the long-term subscribers and those who are new or don’t come often. Either way, that entertainment can completely uplift you.”

With rich talents onstage, a strong orchestra in the pit led by Emmanuel Villaume and stunning visuals with set design, TDO presents an experience in sight and sound through the eyes of some high drama and clever comedy.

Up in the fifth-floor office of the TDO, Derrer points out the view from the office’s expansive windows that looks across Dallas from the signature crimson building.

The beginning
Growing up outside of Charlotte, N.C., Derrer headed straight to Dallas after high school graduation. With goals of becoming a singer, he attended Southern Methodist University to receive his degree in voice. He interned for TDO when everything, including performances, were all based in Fair Park.

But then Derrer’s plans changed.

“I thought I was going to be a singer, but I got equally interested in the production side of things and then thought I was going to be a director,” he said. “That’s what brought me here as an intern was as an assistant director.”

He would also go on to the Santa Fe Opera where he served as a stage manager. That opera remains a big part of Derrer’s life today. (More on that later.)

Prior to joining TDO in his current role as the Kern Wildenthal general director and CEO, Derrer served as the general director of the Kentucky Opera from 2016-2018. He was the rehearsal and music coordinator for the New York City Opera in the early aughts before moving onto an eight-year stint with Lyric Opera of Chicago. He then served as the artistic administrator for TDO for two years just before Kentucky.

Coming soon
This upcoming season will mark Derrer’s seventh with TDO. He leads a team of just more than 40 full-timers, a quarter of them dedicated to fundraising, as ticket sales only sustain a small percentage of profits, as is the case with many — if not all — arts organizations.

Derrer and his team have some familiar names in this season. Along with La Traviata, mainstage shows will include Puccini’s La Boheme. Derrer talked about how those offerings can reach a broader audience.

“This year we have those two that have movies based on them. Rent is La Boheme. And we will have Orpheus and Eurydice, which is Hadestown,” he said. So playing into all of those things really is a critical part of trying to get as broad an audience base as you can.”

Debussy’s Pelléas and Mélisande is a 120-year-old French opera, but it will be a premiere for TDO, which has never produced the show.

“We’re really excited to bring that to Dallas audiences for the first time,” Derrer said. “It’s important to bring things that are new to the community. On the other hand, we’ve bookended them with Traviata and Boheme, two of the most beloved and famous operas of all time. People respond to that kind of mix.”

The season opener, La Traviata, is a co-production with the Santa Fe Opera and a favorite of Derrer.

Derrer’s tie to the SFO is personal as well.

The love story
“When I was here in 2014, I interviewed a gentleman to be my assistant. The one who got the job ultimately became our artistic consultant,” he said. “The other person that I interviewed, who didn’t get the job, later became my husband.”

There was no spark at the time of the interview. That came when Daniel James was working at Julliard where Derrer happened to visit. The two ran into each other during that visit. And that time, the sparks did fly.

James moved on to the Houston Grand Opera where the two commuted back and forth for seven years. Now, James serves as the director of artistic administration at SFO.

The two married in Santa Fe in August of 2019 after being together about 10 years.

“Ian is the kindest person I have ever met,” James said. “And it exudes from him at all times. He makes me a better person because of his kindness. And we laugh all the time!”

Being in the same field provides some relief for the two — at least for Derrer. Both speak the very specific language of opera. Derrer finds comfort in that.

“It’s interesting, because you would think we take work home and talk about work all the time, but I know how lucky I am that we both work in such a complex art form. To have someone who speaks your language and really understands some workday problem, that’s particularly rewarding.

“I can’t speak for Daniel, but it’s a great sense of love and relief,” Derrer said.

James is on the same page — naturally.

“We have the great pleasure of just instinctually understanding each other on everything in our lives, both personally and professionally,” he said. “There are so many things that can go unsaid but speak great volumes to each other. It allows us to just get on with life!”

Pride and community
Derrer has always felt comfortable with being out and open — especially in Dallas. And he’s said that he’s always felt welcomed and embraced here.

“I think that’s been one of the most wonderful things about being in Dallas. [With] this board, this company, that was never an issue. That was never, never something that I felt that I needed to hide or not be proud of,” he said.

“I think that one of the most beautiful things about this art form is that it takes you however you are, whoever you are.”

In fact, TDO is introducing its first Pride Nights for this season.

TDO has partnered with Resource Center and Lambda Legal to celebrate both the opera and the LGBTQ community. (See sidebar for dates.)

“You come here, you get language, culture, music, dance, all of these things under one roof,” Derrer said. “So that’s one of, I think, the most exciting parts of it.”

Visit DallasOpera.org for more information.

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The Dallas Opera’s 2024/25 season

Oct. 18-27: La Traviata. Pride Night on Oct. 23.
Oct. 26: Family Opera Series featuring The Three Little Pigs
Nov. 8-16: Debussy’s Pelléas and Mélisande
Nov. 16: Family Opera series featuring Pepito
Jan. 25: Hart Institute for Women Conductors Showcase Concert
Jan. 26: Robert E. and Jean Ann Titus Family Recital by Christian Gerhaher
Feb. 7-15: Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice
Feb. 16: Family Opera series featuring Pepito
Feb. 28-March 9: Puccini’s La Bohème. Pride Night on March 5.
March 1: Family Opera Series featuring The Three Little Pigs
March 7: Lone Star Vocal Competition