Opera everywhere is chocked full of hype, as singers and managers (often overly) tout themselves and their productions. It's just the nature of the business. But the Pittsburgh Opera has been awfully quiet about a particular string of success behind the scenes that should be trumpeted. Over the last decade, it has proven to be a training ground for future general directors.

Pittsburgh Opera's leaders Mark Weinstein and Christopher Hahn, themselves on every list that comes up when positions open for general director and artistic director, respectively, have seen three of their top staff hired to run other opera companies:

The latest is Kevin Patterson, director of artistic administration, who will depart in September to become general director of Austin Lyric Opera.

The previous artistic administrator, Alan Naplan, left in 2005 to be general director of Madison Opera.

David Shefsiek, one-time Pittsburgh Opera development director, departed in 2001 to Vancouver Opera and is now executive director of Canada's Pacific Opera Victoria.

"Christopher and I don't believe in silos, people working in a vacuum, so we find people whose specialized knowledge is complemented by broad experience and perspective," says Weinstein. "We believe in developing to the fullest extent our staff's professional potential."

Like any company, the Pittsburgh Opera has its positive and negative aspects for employees, but this record of advancement is impressive stuff and a credit to Weinstein and Hahn's willingness to let its managers develop and mature. It goes almost without saying that this kind of track record will likely attract even more talent to the company.

First Published: July 10, 2007, 8:45 p.m.