Maria Todaro: A Lifetime in Opera
MARIA TODARO assumed the role of General Director of the Florida Grand Opera (“FGO”) in Fall 2023 with thirty years of international experience as an arts administrator and entrepreneur, stage director, conductor, librettist, and operatic mezzo-soprano under her belt. She is a citizen of the US, France, and Italy, and has spent a significant amount of time in Brazil, and speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
She began her professional life in opera as a mezzo-soprano and entrepreneur, founding the production company Arteodor in France and later embarking on a career as a stage director. She has directed 23 productions for companies such as Minnesota Opera, Atlanta Opera, and Hawaii Opera Theater. Over a span of ten years, Todaro has also staged 16 original productions. She collaborated as librettist with composer Mitch Bach to write an opera based on “The Three Musketeers” and is collaborating on an opera about Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, with composer Damien Geter and playwright Harrison Davis Rivers.
In 2009, Todaro co-founded the Hudson Valley International Festival of The Voice (FOV, formerly the Phoenicia Festival of the Voice), a four-day summer event in upstate New York. As General Director, she created a backstage apprenticeship program, oversaw the purchase of the organization’s buildings, and during the COVID-19 lockdown, pioneered the United States’ first live drive-in opera performance. She also introduced virtual reality technology to FOV to create a re-imagined and well-received Tosca that was available locally as a live, drive-in performance and worldwide as a digital one. Todaro continues as General Director of FOV in addition to her role at Florida Grand Opera. Under her leadership, FOV is preparing to launch an anti-human trafficking awareness program through the arts.
With passions and projects extending far beyond the proscenium, Todaro is an ardent advocate for opera as a potent source of healing within society. She is dedicated to harnessing its power to address critical societal issues, including women’s empowerment, the fight against human trafficking, and accessible education for all.
Todaro‘s background in opera commenced at birth and has continued throughout her life. She is the daughter of Italian opera singer Jose Todaro and Brazilian mezzo-soprano Maria-Helena de Oliveira. Her grandmother, Helena de Oliveira, headed the International Vocal and Piano Competition of Rio de Janeiro. She is married to international baritone Louis Otey, whom she met when they shared a singing engagement.
— https://fgo.org/
The videos below were recorded via Zoom, are organized by Success Factor, and run between 30 seconds and 6 minutes. Click on any video. You must be connected to the Internet to view the videos.
UNDERSTANDS THE AUDIENCE’S PERSPECTIVE: 11:42 min.
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 0:34 sec.
COLLABORATION: 1:17 min.
OPEN TO CHANGE, FLEXIBILITY: 0:51 sec.
COMMUNITY VALUES: 0:56 sec.
UNDERSTANDS THE AUDIENCE’S PERSPECTIVE: 1:12 min.
CRITICAL THINKING: 1:28 min.
STRONG DRIVE FOR ACHIEVEMENT: 4:43 min.
UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS OF ART: 3:23 min
COMPULSION: 2:51 min.
