Episode Details

In episode two of the 12-part podcast series, "White Men & the Journey Towards Anti-Racism," Tim interviews David B. Devan, General Director & President of Opera Philadelphia.

This series was created to be a resource for white men who might be wrestling with questions like, “What’s my role in anti-racism, equity, inclusion, and justice work as a white man with power and privilege?” and “How might my personal commitment to do this work manifest itself in the organization I help lead?”

Are you new to the series? Check out episode 54 where podcast co-hosts Lauren Ruffin and Tim Cynova introduce and frame the conversations. Explore the other episodes in this series with guests:

• Ron Carucci, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Navalent
• Jay Coen Gilbert, Co-Founder, B Lab; CEO, Imperative21
• Sydney Skybetter, Associate Chair & Senior Lecturer, Theatre Arts & Performance Studies Department, Brown University
• Raphael Bemporad (Founding Partner) & Bryan Miller (Chief Financial Officer), BBMG
• Marc Mannella, Independent Consultant, Former CEO KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools
• John Orr, Executive Director, Art-Reach
• David Reuter, Partner, LLR
• Kit Hughes, Co-Founder & CEO, Look Listen
• Ted Castle (Founder & President) & Rooney Castle (Vice President), Rhino Foods
• Jared Fishman, Founding Executive Director, Justice Innovation Lab

Want to explore related resources primarily *not* by white guys? Check out our compilation of 30 books, podcasts, and films.

DAVID B. DEVAN (he/him) joined Opera Philadelphia in January 2006 and was appointed General Director of the company in 2011. Since his arrival, David has worked closely with board and administration on strategic planning initiatives and building partnerships within the community and the opera world.

David guided the company through a transformative period of innovation that led Opera News to describe it as “one of the leading instigators of new work in the country” and the New York Times to describe Opera Philadelphia as "a hotbed of operatic innovation." Under his leadership and artistic vision, Opera Philadelphia has grown to become a company of international stature and a favorite co-producing partner with companies all over the globe, developing fresh productions of classic works as well as premieres written by today’s leading composers. The company has engaged and energized both established and emerging artists, providing opportunities for important role debuts for singers like Lawrence Brownlee, Eric Owens, Nathan Gunn, Stephanie Blythe, Christine Goerke, Leah Crocetto, and Lisette Oropesa. As The Daily Beast recently commented, “Opera Philadelphia has been at the forefront of commissioning new operas with contemporary subject matter and an innovative, genre-blending sensibility to snare a younger audience and revitalize opera for the 21st century.”

Key achievements include the establishment of the Aurora Series for Chamber Opera at the Perelman Theater, an extremely popular and highly-subscribed opera series at the Kimmel Center's intimate 550-seat Perelman Theater; the establishment of the nation's first ever collaborative Composer in