James W. Wright

James W. Wright, the general director of Vancouver Opera since 1999, has 35 years of experience in opera management. He is responsible for the company’s programming and its artistic and administrative functions, including strategic and artistic planning, fund development, and government relations. Before joining Vancouver Opera, he held the top management positions with Opera Carolina in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Anchorage Opera in Alaska.

During Wright’s tenure, Vancouver Opera initiated a highly successful series of “Community Forums” and “Opera Speaks” programs, which demonstrate the relevancy of opera to British Columbians through seminars, panel discussions, and other activities related to the company’s productions.

James Wright serves on the board of directors of OPERA America, and has previously served on the board of Opera.ca, and on the national board of Imagine Canada. He is a past member of the Vancouver Foundation’s Advisory Panel for Arts and Culture and a past member of the Vancouver City Planning Commission. He has also served as a panelist for the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, and in the US for the National Endowment for the Arts. He is a 2008 graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors – Directors Education Program.