Cincinnati Opera Appoints Todd Bezold as Director of Marketing
Tom O’Connor Consulting Group (TOCG) is pleased to announce that Todd Bezold (he/him) has been appointed Director of Marketing by Cincinnati Opera (Christopher Milligan, General Director and CEO) in Cincinnati, OH, following our extensive national search. In this role, Bezold will lead a small but high-producing marketing team to achieve an annual revenue goal of $1.6 million and attendance goal of 35,000, including mainstage events and free public concerts.
Todd Bezold joins Cincinnati Opera following his most recent post as Director of Marketing for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, where he worked in various roles since 1994. “Todd is an industry leader in marketing for the classical arts and will bring his sincere commitment to the Cincinnati arts community, as well as his sense of humor, to our team at Cincinnati Opera,” said Christopher Milligan, General Director and CEO, in an announcement to the Cincinnati Opera staff.
“We are delighted for Chris and everyone at Cincinnati Opera as they welcome Todd to lead their Marketing team,” said Tom O’Connor, President of TOCG. “We are inspired by the ambition, commitment, and collaborative spirit of the whole Cincinnati Opera team, and know that Todd will be an impactful addition in this role. We look forward to following and supporting Cincinnati Opera’s progress in the coming years as they continue to deliver exceptional classic and newly commissioned operas for audiences in Cincinnati and beyond.”
About Cincinnati Opera
Founded in 1920, Cincinnati Opera is one of the oldest and most highly regarded opera companies in the United States. Known for its longstanding partnership with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, a roster of world-class singers, and its spectacular performance venue, Cincinnati Music Hall, Cincinnati Opera has received numerous accolades and awards, including a recent nomination for the prestigious International Opera Award. With an annual budget of $8.9 million, Cincinnati Opera offers a primary season of performances from June through August (paid attendance 17,000-20,000), plus a host of events through the year, including educational programming, small-scale public performances, recitals, and fundraisers. This is supported by a staff of 25 year-round, as well as 100+ during summer production season.
The 2017 season marked the launch of CO Next: Diverse Voices, an initiative committed to showcasing new or existing works by diverse composers or librettists, or works that prominently feature diverse characters in the storyline. The first opera presented as part of this initiative was Missy Mazzoli’s Song From the Uproar. In 2018, Cincinnati Music Hall reopened after an extensive, $143-million renovation, and Cincinnati Opera marked its return with a thrilling season that included the U.S. premiere of Another Brick in the Wall, based on Pink Floyd’s legendary album The Wall.
2020 was a landmark year for Cincinnati Opera. The company celebrated its first century, but the coronavirus crisis led to the cancellation of Cincinnati Opera’s 100th Anniversary Season. Instead, the company pivoted to producing virtual performances and events. 2020 also marked the launch of a new era of administrative leadership, with the naming of Christopher Milligan as the company’s Harry Fath General Director & CEO, following Patty Beggs’s leadership of the company since 1997. This summer, the company celebrates its return to its primary performance venues, Music Hall and the School for Creative and Performing Arts.
About Tom O’Connor Consulting Group
Tom O’Connor Consulting Group (TOCG) is a NYC-based consultancy that supports arts institutions and leaders with two parallel services: organizational strategy and executive search. Consulting specialties including marketing, strategy, assessment, and organizational development. Founded in 2015, TOCG is a fully remote company with team members spanning the country and the globe.
Select clients have included Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Carnegie Hall, Cincinnati Opera, Huntington Theatre Company, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Lincoln Center Theater, The Metropolitan Opera, Next Chapter Podcasts, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, SPACE on Ryder Farm, and more.
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