Annie Burridge was named General Director & CEO of Austin Opera in October 2016 following a nine-year tenure at Opera Philadelphia, where she most recently served as Managing Director. Since joining Austin Opera she led the development of a new strategic plan; launched a new artistic initiative – Opera ATX – bringing groundbreaking artists to unexpected and unique venues throughout Austin; secured four national innovation grants totaling $800,000; established numerous community partnerships including the first formalized partnership with the Butler School of Music; and increased the company’s endowment funds by 150%.
Annie holds a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a M.M. in Voice Performance and a M.M. in Opera Studies from the New England Conservatory. She graduated the valedictorian of the College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State University, where she earned a B.M. in Voice Performance with a Minor in Business Administration. Annie is an alumnus of Wharton’s Women’s Executive Leadership program and OPERA America’s Leadership Intensive program. She was a 2017 Nonprofit Leadership Fellow at the Aspen Institute.
Annie was named a 2017 “Mover and Shaper” by Musical America and won the Penn State University College of Arts and Architecture Alumni Award in 2018.
Current role