Hugh Harris

Hugh Harris

Committee Chair; Co-founder, East County Rising
Pronouns

he/him/his

Describe your role with Portland Opera

I joined the board in July 2019. I have served on our Leadership Development Committee, and I currently chair our Community Engagement Working Group, where I get to work with our community to dive deeper into the stories we tell and look for ways to share opera in unusual places and ways to support other organizations and our partners.

How did you get involved with the opera?

As my parents were long-time subscribers of Portland Opera, I was lucky to attend my first opera in the first grade, and have continued to love the art form ever since.

What is your favorite Portland Opera memory?

Every show, when the theater goes dark, and the conductor walks out, and the audience applauds—this is when I know I'm in for a special experience of community, art, and emotion.

What would you like our audience to know?

Operas are written and performed from the heart and can delight or sadden or just move you. Sometimes there's a message behind the art, as with all art forms. Each time you see a new performance, you can uncover things you hadn't before. For Portland Opera, this is what it's about— shared experiences and community storytelling.

 

Meet more team members