Skip to main content
Sue Dixon will retire from her position as Portland Opera’s general director at the end of this year, capping an 11-year career of significant accomplishments for the company. Dixon’s retirement comes at the end of Portland Opera’s 60th season. A national search is underway for her replacement.
“On behalf of the board, I want to express our deepest gratitude to Sue for more than a decade of inspiring leadership and vision,” Kregg Arntson, Portland Opera’s board president, said in a statement. “Her dedication has shaped who we are today—stronger, more resilient, and prepared to navigate the evolving arts and culture landscape in Oregon. We are profoundly thankful for all she has done to set us on an exciting path forward.”
Dixon helmed Portland Opera through the pandemic, and helped raise over $40 million, not counting COVID-19 relief funds. During her tenure, the company moved into a new facility in downtown Portland’s World Trade Center, and celebrated three financially lucrative fundraising galas. Portland Opera commissioned original new works and reimaginings of pop culture hits along with staging classical standards. Her five-year plan for the company prioritized a cultural equity framework along with upgrading crucial theater technology.
“Leading this organization through such pivotal times has been the honor and joy of my career,” Dixon said in a statement
Her cultural influence extends beyond Portland Opera, and even Portland. Dixon contributed her expertise to the wider arts community by serving on boards and committees that included the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon, OPERA America, the Oregon Arts Commission’s Governor’s Gold Awards panel and Portland State University’s opera director search committee back in 2021. She plans to spend more time gardening, traveling, painting and writing.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside extraordinary artists, staff, audiences, and supporters, and I am deeply grateful for the friendships and connections that have enriched this journey,” she said. “Together, we have built something lasting and meaningful, and I will always remain a champion of the opera and an advocate for greater investment in the arts ecosystem.”
