FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Holly Hanchey 
Director of Marketing & Communications
470-427-2236 
hhanchey@atlantaopera.org

THE ATLANTA OPERA HIRES CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER

The Opera Also Adds New Individual Giving Officer to Build Development Team

ATLANTA – August 27, 2019 – The Atlanta Opera has hired two new development officers – Chief Advancement Officer Paul Harkins, and Individual Giving Officer Jonathan Blalock.

Mr. Harkins joins The Opera from The University of Michigan, where he worked for 13 years. Most recently, he served as Chief Development and External Relations Officer for the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, overseeing fundraising, communications, and alumni relations activities for the past two years. At The Atlanta Opera, Mr. Harkins will supervise both the development and marketing teams, creating a cohesive message and voice for the company across all development and marketing materials, and oversee all earned and contributed revenue efforts.

In addition to his fundraising skills, Mr. Harkins is a professional percussionist who has held a tenured position with the Flint Symphony Orchestra for 25 years.

Mr. Blalock joins The Atlanta Opera from Opera Saratoga, where he served as Development and Patron Services Manager. At The Opera, he will focus on high-level individual donors and gifts. Mr. Blalock is a published author and also a working tenor, and has sung with major opera companies across the country, including The Atlanta Opera’s 2017 production of The Secret Gardener at The Atlanta Botanical Garden.

“We are excited to add Paul and Jonathan to our team at The Atlanta Opera. Paul brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our rapidly growing company. He will have a key role in creating the strategy for all contributed and earned revenue,” said Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun. 

“Jonathan Blalock is one of the rising stars in the world of opera administration. His previous experience as a singer and a fundraiser along with his enthusiasm for the art form will be a great asset for us. We are energized by these additions and are happy we were able to attract these dynamic talents as we continue to form a powerful team at The Atlanta Opera.” 

About The Atlanta Opera

The Atlanta Opera’s mission is to build the major international opera company Atlanta deserves, with a vision to reimagine opera.

Founded in 1979, The Atlanta Opera celebrates its 40^th anniversary in the 2019-20 season. The Opera works with world-renowned singers, conductors, directors, and designers who seek to enhance the art form.

Under the leadership of internationally recognized stage director and Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun, The Atlanta Opera expanded from three to four mainstage productions at Cobb Energy Centre and launched the acclaimed Discoveries series. In recent years, the company was recognized by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as part of its “Best of 2015” awards; it was nominated for an International Opera Award in 2016; and it won ArtsATL’s 2019 Luminary Award for Community Engagement, recognizing its successful Veterans Program in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation.

In addition, The Opera was featured in a 2018 Harvard Business School case study about successful organizational growth, and Zvulun presented a TEDx Talk at Emory University entitled “The Ambidextrous Opera Company, or Opera in the Age of iPhones.” 

For more information, visit atlantaopera.org