MOT’s David DiChiera announces he has cancer.
DETROIT, Mich.– Dr. David DiChiera, founder and artistic director of Michigan Opera Theatre and the man responsible for saving and restoring the Detroit Opera House, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. DiChiera’s news was sent out the same day as performance details were announced for a gala next month celebrating his career.
DiChiera, 82, announced about a year ago that he would step down from his current post at the end of MOT’s 2016-2017 season. By mid-summer, planning was underway for a May 19 celebration of his career – the DiChiera Grand Salute Legacy Concert. The timing is significant, as it takes place before the final weekend of performances of DiChiera’s 2007 opera, “Cyrano.”