DERBY LINE — The trustees of the Haskell Free Library and Opera House recently announced the appointment of Hal Newman of Stanstead, Quebec as the new director of the Haskell Opera House.
In keeping with the cross-border nature of the Haskell, Newman was raised in Montreal West and attended university in the United States. After a career as, among other things, a paramedic, he and his family moved to Stanstead six years ago, where he works as a chief marketing officer for a cardiovascular research company and social media specialist for emergency management.
Newman has been involved in the arts throughout his life. Over the past two years, he has been the organizer and chief concert host of the Stanstead House Concerts Network, which has brought dozens of artists to Stanstead and region, including Oh Pep! from Australia and Canadian band The Great Lake Swimmers.
“We’re excited to welcome Hal to the Haskell team,” said Haskell board president Matthew Farfan. “He cares about the community, and he brings with him an awareness of the performing arts culture on both sides of the border. We look forward to Hal putting his vision and acute networking skills in place to make the Haskell Opera House a must-perform venue for artists.”
Founded in 1901, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House supports the cultural needs of the community on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, both English and French, through access to information, reading material, a broad range of library services and programming as well as the visual and performing arts.
As a heritage building and as a cultural centre, the Haskell plays a critical role in enriching the lives of its members and the community.
