Arizona Opera took its search for a new leader international only to find the ideal candidate a few miles from its downtown Phoenix headquarters.
The Tucson-born, Phoenix-based company named Brian DeMaris, the artistic director of Arizona State Universityβs music theater and opera program, on Thursday to be its president and general manager.
He replaces Joseph Specter, who announced his resignation last June after nine years. He is now president and CEO of the Scottsdale-based Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
DeMaris applied for the role a month ago, the last of 10 applicants the company screened over the past six to eight months, said Arizona Opera Board Chairman David Heap.
Heap said the board was impressed with DeMarisβ βartistic vision and that he is here and he is already embedded into the local arts community.β
βHe has connections and is very well-respected in the Phoenix community,β Heap added. βWeβre very excited. And weβre especially delighted that he can start now. It was almost serendipitous that he was available now.β
DeMaris started his role on Thursday and will work remotely for the next six weeks as he wraps up his three-year contract conducting The Charlottsville Opera in Virginia, which will mount Bizetβs βCarmenβ in late June and Gilbert and Sullivanβs βThe Pirates of Penzanceβ in mid-July.
DeMaris, who taught at ASU for 10 years, comes to Arizona Opera with an extensive rΓ©sumΓ© conducting orchestras and regional opera, including Arizona Operaβs production of Mozartβs βThe Secret Gardenerβ in March. He also served as associate conductor of the New York City Opera, assistant conductor at Florida Grand Opera and Glimmerglass Opera, and was on the music staff of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
DeMaris takes over the company as it navigates ongoing financial challenges that prompted Specter to streamline the season from four productions to three and cut performances in Phoenix and Tucson over the past two years.
The company eliminated its Saturday night and Sunday matinee performances in Tucson last season and instead offers only one matinee performance on Saturdays. That will continue next season when Arizona Opera presents HΓ©ctor Armientaβs βZorroβ On Oct. 4; Pucciniβs βMadama Butterflyβ on Feb. 7, 2026; and Rossiniβs βCinderellaβ April 25. All performances are at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall.
DeMaris said he plans to build on the foundation laid by Specter and his predecessor, Ryan Taylor, especially when it comes to innovation. Under Taylor and Spector, the company began commissioning new works and created a series of chamber operas performed in smaller venues.
DeMaris said he also will lean into his teaching experience to expand the companyβs well-established education and community engagement programs and will collaborate with the music programs at ASU, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.
βThereβs tremendous opportunity for everybody, for the universities, the students, the opera company, the audience and the communities,β he said. βItβs really incredible that we work in a state that has three universities with voice and opera programs.β
Board Chairman Heap said DeMarisβ ideas fall in line with Arizona Operaβs strategic plan, which includes βcollaborating with universities and the local communities and integrating with arts organizationsβ including the companyβs recitals with UA, ASU and Tucson Desert Song Festival.
In addition to his administrative role, DeMaris said he also would like to conduct some productions. It will be the first time the companyβs executive leader has taken a performance role since Joel Revzen ran the company from 2003-10.
Revzen died in the early days of the pandemic in May 2020 due to complications from coronavirus; he was 74.
