The Virginia Opera has announced the appointment of Peggy Kriha Dye as the organization’s new General Director and CEO.

Kriha Dye will officially take on the role, succeeding retiring current Virginia Opera President and CEO, Russell P. Allen, on Oct. 18, 2020.

In a statement, Paul Winslow, chairman of the Opera’s Statewide Board of Directors said, “We are extremely excited to welcome Peggy to our Virginia Opera family, my fellow board members and I are confident her vision will launch our organization into what will be a new, innovative era as we approach our 50th anniversary in the 2024-2025 Season. We believe Peggy to be the right person not only to maintain our high artistic standards but also to successfully attract new audiences to
our beloved musical form.”

Kriha Dye performed as a soprano on more than 100 stages in over 40 productions throughout the world from 1992–2017. She originated the role of Stella in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” written and conducted by André Previn at the San Francisco Opera, and reprising the role with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Washington National Opera.

She has performed with the Shanghai Opera House, Toronto, and Versailles. In 2011, she became Director of Education and Community Programming at Opera Columbus and in 2014 Artistic Director of the company. In 2017 she was named General and Artistic Director + CEO.

Kriha Dye is currently on the Board of Trustees of Opera America and is also involved in the Women’s Opera Network and is a past recipient of such accolades as Musical America’s 2018 Professionals of the Year/”Movers and Shakers” Edition award.