Biz news; Opus3 names Foster’s successors
NewsV-P Robert Berretta is to be managing director and Benjamin Maimin COO and director of strategic initiatives in the artist agency when David Foster retired in the New Year.
The agency is now owned by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Jonathan Brill will remain a V-P.
And some real change: Berretta and Maimin announced the formation of a participatory advisory council to recommend initiatives regarding more inclusive staffing and artist rosters, audience development, and community engagement. The council will be led by Associate Manager Leiwei Jiang, Artist Manager Scott Mello, and Vice President and Director of Classical Booking Sarah Pelch in tandem with the SFCM Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Jason Hainsworth.
Of course the future of Opus 3 will be charted by the new regime. However, the legacy of David Foster is that Opus 3 is a successful and viable artists management with great credibility throughout the music world. The fact that the decision on his successors has come from within Opus 3 represents the strength of the company.
Does this mean that from now on, they will only take artists from the conservatory?
So are we just going to ignore that beretta spent the better part of the 90s and 2000s doing Andrew Grossman’s dirty work, lying and cheating presenters all around the country, renaming dance companies to violate exclusivity clauses? This is shameful.
Too true. beretta did all of Grossman’s bidding and hid behind him for years. Can’t this industry find new talent besides CAMI failures?