Tri-Cities Opera names Ashbaker as new general director

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The Tri-Cities Opera (TCO) has appointed Susan Ashbaker as its new general director.

“Ashbaker comes to TCO with a wealth of experience from both sides of the opera and music industry,” according to a TCO news release. She has served as executive director, director of artistic and music administration, vocal coach, master class presenter, collaborative pianist, singer advocate, author, and lecturer.

The Tri-Cities Opera plans to formally introduce Ashbaker at a news conference Thursday at 10 a.m. at the TCO Opera Center at 315 Clinton St. in Binghamton. The TCO said it will also announce its incoming resident artist roster and offer news regarding internationally known artists who have agreed to perform during its 2014-2015 opera season, according to the release.

Ashbaker replaces Reed W. Smith, who resigned as TCO’s general director in February after spending more than 33 years with the opera since he was a resident artist. He was the general director of the opera for the past 13 years. Smith has since accepted the position of executive director of the Anchorage Opera in Alaska, according to a story on the website of the Alaska Dispatch News.

Ashbaker has been a member of the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia since 1993 and is an adjunct professor at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. She has been a frequent judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was affiliated with the Opera Company of Philadelphia for 16 years.

Tri-Cities Opera was founded in 1949. The opera company had a 2013 operating budget of more than $990,000, seven full-time employees, and posted attendance of 21,000 at 57 performances, according to CNYBJ Research.