US opera sacks its singer president
OperaThe board chairs of Central City Opera Company have informed a staff meeting that Pamela Pantos is no longer president and CEO. Her details have been deleted from the website.
Pantos, a former mezzo-soprano, was at the heart of a brutal labour dispute, recently settled.
Here’s more.
I have never seen a more miserable person hell-bent on sinking a company. How she was hired is beyond me. The fact that she was only just now fired is too. Should have happened long ago. Pamela Pantos is a terrible excuse for a leader.
Seems like yet another appointment a Board should never have made and then waited far too long before firing her. As has been written here before, when it comes to the arts most Boards of Directors just do not exercise due diligence.
Exactly. The board that chose this failure is going to choose another leader. Yikes!
Well, I guess Pathetic Pantos reads Slipped Disc. She’s gotta be that sad, lone “dislike.”
This decision was a year too late. She has continued two summers in a row to not pay her artists. The nonpayment from 2022 was settled, and the union has filed many charges against CCO to get those people paid. I don’t think anyone will miss her.
It’s truly sad that in this day and age, the music scene and especially the dark, secretive areas of management are so damned political! Pam is a true labor leader who paid the ultimate price and unfortunately many of the commentators here on this issue either don’t know or, worse, don’t care about the whole true story. Good luck in the future, Pam. You deserve better days!
Hi John Baril!
Pamela, it is so nice of you to join us—or maybe it’s Baril as he continues to suck up to save himself.
Please do share the “whole true story.” We are all ears to hear what isn’t union-busting, illegal pay rates, not paying people, abusing people, empty houses, and spending a curious amount of money on things that you fancy for yourself—and on and on. There are receipts for the aforementioned though. Plenty of people have them.
Hi, I sat on the negotiation committee and I’d LOVE to hear more about how Pamela is a “true labor leader” – because the dozens and dozens of hours that we had to listen to her and her lawyers reject safe sane proposals with malice in their voices towards us for just *existing* as artists while they proposed union-breaking proposals has not been forgotten by me. Would love you to elaborate on that statement, please!
This is the problem. People think what they read on any form of media is more accurate than the Bible, Torah or Qu’ran put together. Wonder if those criticising this woman, putting her down, have even met her, or is it just idle gossip that appears to others to have an air of superiority on truth based on a bed of moving sand? Why are human beings so cruel to one another with unsubstantiated criticism? There os politics involved in all of this, not a useless woman! Get the facts right first, not condemn.
We know the facts, Pammy. We were there (are here).
What are the politics Maria?
This is the same woman who forced out the company’s very competent and very hard-working Artistic Director. As other people have stated herein, what is wrong with these Boards who make these awful hiring decisions and don’t perform due diligence?? This happens ALL THE TIME in the opera, orchestra, dance and theatre worlds. Unfortunately, Boards are accountable to no one and being a member requires nothing but deep pockets.