Whether surrounded by patrons and artists, or just sitting down with him one-on-one, Richter seems to have a strange peace about him. He is a man who knows what he wants and how to achieve it. However, his calm façade does not hide his razor-sharp artistic talent, his strong focus or his striking ability to build relationships.
“Shh! Do you hear that?” Richter says. “If you listen hard enough, you can hear some of the greatest voices in the history of opera who have performed on that stage.” Richter seems completely in his element as we sit in the audience at the Municipal Auditorium, soon to be the new Performing Arts Center and home to the San Antonio Opera.
“After 15 years of producing opera, there are still so many wonderful lessons learned in silence,” he says. “The madness and magic of producing opera will begin soon enough; let’s just enjoy the blank canvas before the painting begins.” And so we do.
I begin to question Richter about his choice to pursue a career in bringing opera to San Antonio. He thoughtfully ponders the question and answers slowly.
“I don’t think anyone grows up wanting to lead a non-profit arts company,” he says. “It’s just one of those things hiding behind the many doors a person goes through in making decisions. I guess if one didn’t have a great passion for the art, it would be really hard to explain.
“As for myself, I love everything about it – from the great dramas that stir the imagination to the music that was written to pull emotions from the darkest places of the heart. It is the perfect combination of voice, symphony, dance and costuming.” Richter is a first-generation American, born and raised on the South side of San Antonio.
“My father was a self-employed tool and die maker,” Richter says. “I grew up in his company, learning what hard work and dedication meant. After playing viola for a few years, I really wanted my own instrument. My father’s answer was to work at the shop until I had earned enough money to pay for it myself. This truly taught me the value of money, at the same time providing a heightened sense of wanting to succeed.”
Educated through the public school system, he began playing the viola at the age of 7. “I fell in love with music,” Richter says, “and it continued through college at what was then Incarnate Word College.”
It was during this time that Richter claims to have found his voice and began voice lessons with Deborah Bussineau.
“This is when I also fell in love with the theater, performing in some 20 musicals around town during the next couple of years,” he says. “I capitalized on the success of the Three Tenors and formed San Antonio’s Three Tenors with George Cortes and Jacob Cantu. We had a lot of fun doing the Three Tenor gigs and actually made some money.”
While working as the marketing director for the Josephine Theater in the early 1990s, Richter produced his first opera at the age of 23.
“It was a great presentation of a couple of short, one-act operas,” he says. “This was when I realized my life was going to be in the arts.”
When I ask Richter what he considers the hardest thing about producing opera, he quickly states, “That’s easy; it’s fundraising. Most recently, it has been downright depressing. The opera devotes more time to fundraising than producing opera. That is just a reality that all opera companies in the U.S. deal with.
“Most people think opera is purely entertainment for the wealthy, and that opera bank accounts are filled and brimming with extra dollars. This could not be further from the truth.”
Richter goes on to say that tickets only make up about 35 percent of the total budget of an opera season. The rest comes from foundations, corporations, governmental support, special events and individual contributors.
“Every cent counts in running an arts organization,” Richter says. “Lack of fundraising is definitely something that tends to age artistic leaders before their time.”
Richter isn’t complaining, however. He says San Antonio has been very generous and continues to be very interested in the growth of opera. “We try very hard to make our patrons proud to support our organization,” he says.
Although it’s obvious Richter has had many shining moments in his career, when I ask him what the most rewarding aspect of his career has been so far, he replies, “That’s a tough one. It seems to change as the years go by. Producing the art and being part of the opera community continues to be very rewarding, but knowing that I took a small part in providing an emotional impact, whether large or small, for my patrons, is the highest level of satisfaction.
“Being able to watch the wonder on the face of a sixth-grade student as he watches an opera for the first time possesses the highest level of reward.”
Likewise, it is the true emotion on Richter’s face as he describes this that shows his deepest commitment to his passion.
Richter has been able to bring some truly amazing productions and world-renowned artists to the Alamo City, specifically Plácido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli.
“They are two of the nicest, most down-to-earth people I have ever known,” Richter says. “San Antonio has made a lasting impression on both artists. Both vocalists have a keen sense of production and artistry and know exactly how to communicate their needs and desires.
“Plácido Domingo is equivalent in stature and position in music to a Warren Buffet or Bill Gates. He is a wealth of knowledge and experience, and still in great vocal shape for a singer of any age. Domingo passes inspiration through his actions and his voice, making him an artist to revere. My respect and admiration for him is boundless.
“Andrea Bocelli is the type of person who loves to share interesting company, great food and wine. He is very laidback when not rehearsing, but once he begins a practice or a performance, Andrea becomes a perfectionist. There is not a single thing that happens without his knowledge and approval. The strange and wonderful thing about Andrea is that you almost forget his blindness after being around him for any extended length of time.”
Opera in San Antonio continues to change and grow, seemingly single-handedly at the direction of Richter and his inexhaustible stream of ideas, and Richter’s plans for the future of this art are very promising and exciting.
“The opera has been growing in different directions for many years,” he says. “Attempting to find the right balance between the number of productions to affordability [and] staffing requirements to available funding, along with finding a way to build a cash reserve for emergency situations – these are a few of the problems that need to be solved.
“We want to be a strong civic group entering into the new Performing Arts Center in 2013 – strong not only in artistic values, but also financially. The opera must continue to brand itself across the county and into South Texas and Mexico. Outreach programs with opera artists and educational programs for these areas are already being developed for the future.
“Our current visiting patron percentage of our total ticket sales is about 25 percent. This should be much higher considering the popularity of our city. It just takes that personal connection and making these visiting patrons feel welcome.
“We have recently created opera guilds in Laredo, Corpus Christi and the Hill Country. These wonderful music lovers get together at restaurants and various locations, while the opera provides singers and musicians for incredible intimate evenings of opera. The opera is proud to have San Antonio’s Creative Civilization, a leading national marketing firm providing marketing, publicity and branding pro bono for the opera. Our city really needs to thank this company for all that they do for the arts. Al Aguilar and Gisella Girard, owners of Creative Civilization, make it their company’s commitment to help the opera.
“Another – equally as important – is South Texas Money Management. CEO and owner Jeanie Wyatt continues to display a generosity and board leadership that is essential for the opera to continue to succeed. We hope other companies in our city will also step forward.”
Clearly Richter’s passion in life is creating a legacy of opera and the arts for San Antonio. When questioned about his personal goals, however, his demeanor shifts. “Friends keep telling me there is life outside of the opera,” he says. “My life has been devoted to the opera for over 15 years now, but this past birthday, I took a long hard look at where my life has taken me so far. While friends and family have children, I have none. While most people take time out their lives to vacation and recreate, my out-of-town excursions are limited to my annual audition trip to New York City.
“This is all going to change very soon. While the focus of my life will still be the opera, there are things that must change in my personal life. Taking care of myself is at the top of my priorities, so there are many lifestyle changes that are going to be made. Spending more time with friends and family [is] also at the top of my list. Who knows, maybe some romance [will come] along the way.”
After spending just a small amount of time with Richter, there is one thing that is apparent: His star is on the rise. Opera may not be for everybody, but those who have never given it a chance should reconsider. There’s a reason it’s still around after 400 years. With any luck, thanks to leaders like Richter, San Antonio will have this chance for many years to come.
For more information about the San Antonio Opera, call 210-225-5972, or visit www.saopera.com.
