Oliver Camacho

Experience

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  The Opera Company

  Jan 2006 - Jan 2013

  Founder & Artistic Director

  The mission of the Opera Company is to engage audiences in lesser known works in the classical vocal repertoire (Baroque cantatas, masques, Renaissance polyphony, art song) by presenting them with other theatrical languages such as Tanztheater, mask work, and clown. In the years of leading this project, I produced six staged productions and 3 concerts, collaborated with the Chicago Academy of Performing Arts and Dal Niente Ensemble to produce student-composed chamber operas, coached historical vocal performance practice and gesture, produced K-8 outreach programs, and produced a master class with Samuel Ramey. Show less

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  AMHERST EARLY MUSIC INC

  Jul 2007 - now

  Manager — Baroque Opera Project

  Seasonally, I support the festival by coordinating schedules for musicians, the stage director, and conductor, and serve as liaison between production staff, artistic team, and festival direction. One of my favorite roles is serving as stage manager and assistant to the stage director. This annual event is incredibly motivating for me.

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  Frontera Grill

  Dec 2013 - Aug 2015

  Manager

  I managed the front of house staff for this Michelin-starred restaurant. Part of my responsibilities included training the staff, including creating and implementing foreign language education for French, German and Italian, as well as Spanish and English. Additionally, I developed communication tools for better collaboration between departments. The impact of my work led to consistently exceeding our sales goals; our service being recognized by the Chicago Tribune, Michelin Guide, and ultimately, the James Beard Foundation; and the advancement of my staff to higher earning positions. Show less

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  Opera Box Score

  Sept 2015 - now

  Creative Consultant

  I lead a team that creates and produces content for a weekly radio show and podcast all about Opera. There is a lot of territory to cover hosting a show like this, and the most exciting part is the opportunity I have to work with internationally renowned singers, composers, conductors and other opera-related personalities for in-depth interviews and conversations on the art form.

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  Vocal Arts Chicago

  Dec 2015 - now

  Founder & Editor

  Many years ago, I saw a need for access to information on classical vocal arts events in Chicago and created a blog and website to aggregate material. What originally started as a blog has transformed into a platform to advocate for local artists and organizations such as Constellation Men's Ensemble and Third Coast Baroque as well as the venues they perform in like the intimate new Guarneri Hall NFP or the recently refurbished Studebaker Theater. In addition to informational event listings and venue descriptions, I also write weekly recommendations for performances. "Editor's Pick" posts on VocalArtsChicago.com, targeting a highly specific market, regularly reach over 1,000 hits per week, with further amplification on social media. Show less

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  Grant Park Music Festival

  Apr 2016 - Sept 2016

  Front Of House Manager

  Seasonal manager for all front-of-house activities including GPMF and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) concerts, festivals, and open rehearsals. Part of my responsibilities were to hire, train, and manage ushers. In addition, I coordinated with Millennium Park and DCASE staff for logistics, security, artistic production, and enforcement of venue policies and audience safety. The biggest lesson I learned in this role at such an enormous venue was the importance of developing leaders on my team to whom I could trust to delegate tasks. Show less

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  Harris Theater for Music and Dance

  Sept 2016 - Apr 2019

  In my role at the Harris Theater, my responsibilities progressively increased from managing the general marketing operations through to programming and engaging with our audiences through arts education and community partnerships. The skills that I was most relied on for were my ability to articulate and communicate, my creative direction, my reliability, and follow through. In my time at the Harris, my initiatives resulted in a 40% increase in attendance to the theater's chamber music concert series, with a 30% increase in ticket revenue; the nearly doubling of participation of our community and education partners in the theater's Access Tickets program; and the expansion of audience education programs and communications. Show less

  • Audience Engagement Manager

    Jul 2018 - Apr 2019

  • External Affairs Coordinator

    Feb 2017 - Jul 2018

  • Interim Marketing Manager

    Sept 2016 - Feb 2017
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  WFMT

  Jul 2018 - now

  Shepherding WFMT’s library to be more complete; talking to artists about their craft; identifying the work that will keep WFMT relevant; and sharing my passion for vocal music and period instrument performances of Early music. Or simply: I talk about Classical music.

  • Music Director

    Oct 2021 - now

  • Radio Presenter

    Jul 2018 - now