Ian Derrer, The Dallas Opera General Director and CEO, returned from Kentucky Opera, where he spent the past two seasons as General Director. An internship with The Dallas Opera in his final years of college brought him to Santa Fe Opera as production assistant in 1996. He also worked as a freelance assistant director and stage manager for Santa Fe Opera, Atlanta Opera, Opera Carolina, Opera Pacific, and Washington Opera, learning opera production from the ground up. In 2004, Mr. Derrer joined the staff of New York City Opera as rehearsal and music coordinator. Two years later, he moved to Lyric Opera of Chicago, starting as rehearsal administrator and moving up to director of production and head of the rehearsal department. He spent eight seasons at Lyric Opera of Chicago, with one summer as rehearsal director for Santa Fe Opera, before becoming artistic administrator of The Dallas Opera in 2014.