Michael J. Bobbitt.
OPERA America, the national nonprofit that supports opera in the U.S., announced that Michael J. Bobbitt will become president and CEO on January 1, 2026, with a five-year contract. Bobbitt succeeds Marc A. Scorca, who concludes his 35-year tenure at the end of 2025 and has been named president emeritus. Bobbitt goes to OPERA America from the Mass Cultural Council in Boston, where he served as executive director since 2021. After studying trumpet and classical voice, Bobbitt pursued artistic careers in dance and musical theater before shifting to the administrative leadership of two theaters. He continues his artistic pursuits as a published playwright, director, and choreographer. At the Mass Cultural Council, he was Massachusetts’ highest-ranking public official for arts and culture; during his tenure, the agency secured $60.1M in COVID relief; state appropriations grew from $18.2M to $26.9M; and the arts were explicitly embedded in statewide health, education, and economic policies. His administration advanced equity work, redesigned grantmaking to lower barriers for first-time and historically excluded applicants, and expanded language, disability, and geographic access. Before public service, Bobbitt was producing artistic director of New Repertory Theatre (MA) and artistic director of Adventure Theatre MTC (MD).
