Maryland Opera recently announced the appointment of its new general director, who has just as much experience onstage as a performer as he does offstage in an administrative role. Jason Buckwalter is a well-known member of Baltimore’s classical music and theater community, performing with companies such as Amici Music, the Washington National Opera and the Annapolis Chorale.
Buckwalter first joined the opera company as an administrative aide in 2018, a year after the former Lyric Opera Baltimore closed its doors. While Baltimore has a long history of operatic performance, the Baltimore Opera Company disbanded in 2009 during the national recession. Lyric Opera Baltimore opened shortly after, but it was shuttered in 2017 when the Modell Performance Arts Center at The Lyric in Baltimore decided that they would no longer produce or schedule opera performances. Maryland Opera carries on the tradition in its stead.
“My passion for opera has been a constant in my life, but moving from a performing focus to an administrative role has only served to ignite that passion further,” Buckwalter says. “To me, the future of opera is in education and outreach, seeking a way to connect with our community.”
As a performer, Buckwalter is a baritone and is known for his “super-sized characters,” as written in the blog “The Sybaritic Singer.” Outside of his work in the theater, he is the building administrator of the Roland Park Community Center in North Baltimore and teaches kung fu at Goh’s Kung Fu.
“This artform is for everyone and connects us all on a deeply human level. I look forward to fostering new audiences to ensure the future of opera,” Buckwalter added.
