EXECUTIVE STAFF

from The Sleeping Beauty - Oregon Ballet Theatre

LETTER FROM THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

NIEL DEPONTE MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR Niel DePonte has been the music director for OBT and its predecessor, Pacific Ballet Theatre, since 1985. He has guest-conducted for Boston Ballet, The Mussorgsky Ballet Theatre (Maly Ballet), and Nureyev Ballet Festival. DePonte has also conducted symphonic, pops, and youth concerts with the symphonies of Oregon, Syracuse, and Charlotte, among others. He is the artistic director and conductor of the Young Artists Debut! Concerto Concert, a program of his nonprofit MetroArts Inc. He was a 2003 Grammy Award nominee for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (with orchestra) — for his performance of Tomáš Svoboda’s Concerto for Marimba with the Oregon Symphony. His compositions and arrangements written for the ballet stage include: Christopher Stowell’s Adin, Carmen, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Ekho; Houston Ballet’s Peter Pan (2002); and OBT’s Nutcracker (1993). DePonte holds a master’s degree and performer’s certificate from the Eastman School of Music, as well as an education degree from the State University of New York.

Photo by Joni Kabana.

MICHAEL MAZZOLA RESIDENT LIGHTING DESIGNER Michael Mazzola’s critically acclaimed lighting and scenery have been seen in venues throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, from opera houses to amphitheaters and circus tents to hay barns. The three-time New York Dance and Performance Award winner has designed lighting and scenery for Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Whim W’Him, Queensland Ballet, the Finnish National Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, Ballet West, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Ballet Hispánico, Trey McIntyre Project, The Washington Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Houston Ballet, Rachel Tess Dance at the Wanås Foundation in Sweden, Baryshnikov Arts Center, LMCC’s River To River Festival, Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Bebe Miller Company, and Liz Lerman’s Dance Exchange. For the National YoungArts Foundation’s Miami Galas, Mazzola has designed lighting and scenery since 2015. For the 2015 and 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program and YoungArts Awards, he designed lighting and created media content at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. He also went to Italy for a whirlwind tour with Tulsa Ballet and to Cuba for his second world premiere at Ballet Nacional de Cuba for choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. Recently, he went to Winnipeg for the world premiere of a full-length ballet by James Kudelka at Royal Winnipeg Ballet. He then traveled to Chicago for a new Giselle by The Joffrey Ballet, among others. Mazzola has been the scenic designer for Comedy Central Roasts and the 2015 Lincoln Awards at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall for upLIGHT. Photo by Alison Roper.

NICOLO FONTE RESIDENT CHOREOGRAPHER Choreographer Nicolo Fonte has created over 50 new works for dance companies spanning the globe, garnering praise and generating excitement for his daring and theatrical approach to dance. The Australian Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and The Dutch National Ballet, among many others, all have works of his in their repertoire. Whether made to Ravel’s brash Bolero or the quiet intricacy of a Bach violin piece, Fonte ballets have common ground: “The choreography is inventive, creating expressive original shapes built on an undercurrent of implicit human relationships” (Foyer, Dance Europe). “What impresses the most is that his choreography is obviously the result of a personal reflexion — distinctly and unmistakably Fonte, proof of a rare quality” (Michel Odin, Danse). Well-known to Portland audiences for a stunning roster of works including Never Stop Falling (in Love), Bolero, Giants Before Us, and Rhapsody in Blue, Fonte is recognized throughout the world as a choreographer equally comfortable with classical and contemporary dance forms. Fonte has been resident choreographer for Oregon Ballet Theatre since the 2014–2015 season.

Photo by Janna Cruder.

MICHAEL GREER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Michael Greer brings leadership experience from both the for-profit and nonprofit worlds. As a former professional dancer and experienced executive, Greer enjoys using his diverse background to bring new ideas and innovative solutions to the performing arts.

In his third season at Oregon Ballet Theatre, Greer continues to work with community leaders to keep dance and the performing arts in the conversations surrounding community and growth. In addition to leading the organization into its fifth year of financial success, during Greer’s tenure as Executive Director, OBT has seen record numbers of patrons, students, and donors. He is proud of the team at Oregon Ballet Theatre and the work they are doing to advance the organization’s mission to Share, Inspire, and Connect through dance. In addition to his role as Executive Director, Greer also enjoys serving his community as a Trustee on the Cultural Advocacy Coalition and as a Gubernatorial appointee on the Oregon Arts Commission.

A native of Missouri, Greer spent the early part of his life as a dancer with stints at Interlochen Arts Academy, School of American Ballet, and The Royal Ballet School. He spent six seasons with Ballet West under the direction of Jonas Kåge, performing a wide variety of soloist roles. Upon retirement from performance, he returned to higher education with studies in economics (B.A.), education (M.Ed), and business administration (M.B.A.) from Hampshire College, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and The Wharton School, respectively.

Prior to returning to the nonprofit sector, Greer spent nearly a decade in leadership and executive roles in manufacturing, financial services, and commodities in India and Mainland China for several multinational firms.

As a husband and father of two, Greer and his family are proud to call Oregon their home. As a leader in the state’s arts community, he is humbled by the opportunity to steward its arts and culture for future generations and looks forward to another fantastic season with OBT, bringing the passion of the arts to all of Oregon.