WILMINGTON, DE (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Stephen Bailey, who has served as interim executive director of the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, DE, has been named executive director/CEO.
Bailey, who is also president of APEX Artists, had agreed to initially serve on an interim basis when former executive director Ken Wesler left in July 2006, so he could devote more time to his management clients.
“I went through a very interesting process with the Board of Directors of the Grand who, in a most flattering way, pressured me to accept the position full time because they were convinced that I was the best person to lead the organization”.
Terms of Bailey’s contract with the Grand allow him to continue his management of APEX Artists clients David Bromberg, Angel Band, The Lowlands and the Cuban Jazz group Habana Sax, as well as oversee the national tour of “An Evening of American Acoustic Music.” Bailey also handles the programming duties for The Stamford Center for the Arts in Stamford, CT, Frawley Stadium in Wilmington, DE and Heritage House in Little River, CA, and is a founding member of the programming collective, The COMBINE.
The Grand Opera House is Delaware's leading arts institution with an annual operating budget of nearly $6 million and includes two performance theaters (1,200 and 300 seats). It is also home to The Grand School of Music, The Grand School of Dance, The Paul Green School of Rock, The Delaware Symphony, Opera Delaware, City Theater Company, Target Recording Studios and several other arts organizations who use the facilities to present their performance seasons. In 2001 the Grand completed a $13 million expansion that now houses five rehearsal studios, new offices for all of the resident arts organizations and an expanded lobby/function area for special events. — Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner
