JACQUELYN VANDENPLAS COMBINES PASSION FOR THE ARTS AND LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE AS NEW DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Story By Chelsea Sherman / Photos By Will Hawkins
From a young age, new Virginia Opera director of development Jacquelyn VandenPlas was enthralled with music and the arts.
“I’ve always been in love with music,” VandenPlas said. “When I was about 5 years old, my mother played an Ella Fitzgerald record for me. I immediately fell in love with jazz music, and to this day, Ella Fitzgerald is my favorite artist. I distinctly remember feeling the music and thinking that she wasn’t just singing notes but singing from her heart. I knew from a young age that I wanted to do that.”
VandenPlas started piano lessons shortly after hearing that record. She would later expand her musical prowess into singing, eventually ending up at St. Norbert College in Wisconsin, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in vocal performance.
After college, VandenPlas took her musical talents to the education sector, where she taught piano and vocals and directed choir.
VandenPlas’s husband is in the military, which has taken them all over the country the past 16 years. They have lived in several states, including New York, South Carolina, and most recently Hawaii.
When VandenPlas had their first son 12 years ago, she began teaching preschool. After spending a few years as a teacher, she moved into administration and found her stride in educational leadership.
“Education is where I developed my passion for nonprofit leadership and mission-driven work,” VandenPlas said. “I’ve really spent the last decade building relationships and immersing myself in community.”
After moving to the Norfolk area five years ago, VandenPlas established herself in local educational leadership as director of school at the New E3 School. In that role, VandenPlas oversaw donor engagement, community development, events, operations, and team management. She also went back to school for her master’s degree from William & Mary two years ago, and she will graduate with her MBA this spring.
VandenPlas’s education and experience in nonprofit development, coupled with her passion for the arts, made her an ideal candidate for the director of development role with Virginia Opera when the position became available last year. After several rounds of interviews, VandenPlas officially joined the organization in December.
“What I’ve learned throughout my career is that relationship-building is at the core of everything in business,” VandenPlas said. “So, when I came on board with the opera, I was very intentional about building relationships with the team, our board, and our donor base.
“When you lead first with relationships, you can understand the goals and the mission behind the organization, and that’s how you can really support your people.”
Since moving to Norfolk, VandenPlas has immersed herself in the local arts scene, including regularly attending the opera well before she was ever considered for her current role.
“This is a rich cultural experience for the community,” VandenPlas said. “When you go to the opera, you are experiencing an exquisite art form, and you are also supporting local musicians and the arts in the process. You walk out with a feeling of beauty and art and togetherness.
“Especially when times are hard, experiencing beauty and community and what connects us is more important than ever.”
The Virginia Opera was established in 1974 as a nonprofit organization. Many of its major donors have participated since its inception, which has given the opera a strong foundation of local support.
“I spent my first month getting to know our base really well, and it was so insightful to learn about the opera through the lens of people who have been with us for 50 years,” VandenPlas said.
She is also excited about engaging with other opera supporters, such as the Virginia Opera Guild—a nonprofit volunteer organization that supports the opera with various outreach programs throughout the year.
While fostering those existing relationships is important, expanding the opera’s reach in the community and developing new audiences are also essential parts of VandenPlas’s role.
“Like all arts, something the opera is focused on is how we stay relevant and provide an inclusive and welcoming experience,” VandenPlas said. “As we plan our seasons, we’re very intentional with the operas we select. We want to ensure we are reaching people who are already opera lovers, as well as families and new audiences.”
One way Virginia Opera is reaching new audiences is through its education and community program. This season, Dragon’s Breath, a kid-friendly opera about regulating emotions, was performed at 40 schools and libraries across the state.
Virginia Opera’s first opera of 2026 was Intelligence, which premiered January 30 in Norfolk. Intelligence is a Grammy-nominated opera sung in English, written by contemporary composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer. The opera is set in Virginia and tells the true story of a Civil War spy network.
“With a modern opera like Intelligence, we wanted to jump on the opportunity to attract new audiences who may not have fallen in love with opera yet,” VandenPlas said.
The Virginia Opera performs three operas per year, and each opera runs for a weekend in Norfolk, Richmond, and Fairfax. The final opera of the season is Aida, which runs March 13 and 15 at the Harrison Opera House.
Chelsea Sherman
