James Barbato is Director of Artistic Administration at Palm Beach Opera, where he leads artistic planning and also directs the company’s acclaimed resident artist programs. Recently, he pioneered the creation of Palm Beach Opera’s outdoor festival, developing innovative safety protocols and recruiting a roster of top-tier stars to become one of the first companies in the United States to produce a full season of live opera during the pandemic. Over the past seven years, he has also been instrumental in establishing Palm Beach Opera as a leading training center in the industry, building a renowned faculty and helping to launch the careers of several of opera’s most promising emerging talents. Previously, he spent four seasons with Santa Fe Opera as Assistant Director of the Rehearsal Department. A recent alumnus of OPERA America’s Leadership Intensive program, he began his career as a singer, earning his BM and MM degrees from the Eastman School of Music and continuing his training at the Boston University Opera Institute. Prior to focusing on opera administration, he performed most notably with Florida Grand Opera, Central City Opera, Tanglewood Music Center, Marlboro Music Festival, and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. In addition to his musical training, he is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Rochester, having earned a BA summa cum laude in Economics.
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