Rick Dowden
Along with board member Dale Lipschultz, Rick is in the running for the most opera performances enjoyed. “Conservatively,” muses Rick, “I’ve attended hundreds.”
Rick’s introduction to opera came in his 20s when a close friend took him to New York’s Metropolitan Opera Club. “We had a black tie dinner in a lovely dining room at the Met, and then we would adjourn to boxes for a fabulous performance. How could it be better than that?” Opera would become a life-long passion.
As President and CEO of Volvo Group North America, a critical part of Rick’s job was developing high level relationships for his company, and a very important asset was the company’s private box at the Met in New York. “The great part about the Met box was that essentially nobody said ‘no’ to an invitation, which opened all manner of doors.” And then for pure enjoyment there were opera occasions in other venues in Europe and the United States. And more recently many wonderful experiences at Opera Steamboat.
Who or what were some of his most memorable moments in opera?
“I’ve heard and seen most of the ‘greats’ who have performed in the past 40 years, and probably the most memorable single performance was Joan Sutherland’s farewell at the Met in Lucia di Lammermore. Overall my favorite singer is Placido Domingo whom I had the pleasure to hear and to meet many times, and of course Luciano Pavarotti is also a perennial favorite. But there are so many, which is one of the glories of the Met specifically and opera in general. To me the magic is the human voice as an instrument. Great opera is a sublime experience and just too hard to describe; it has to be experienced.”
Opera Steamboat isn’t the only nonprofit to benefit from Rick’s talents and expertise. He has been a longtime advocate of the Boys & Girls Clubs, including his previous role as Chair of the largest club in New York City and more recently as an Advisor to the local clubs in the Steamboat area. His philosophy: “If we take care of the kids, most everything else seems to fall into place.”
