Alan-Arthur Aurelia AS an arts executive

Alan-Arthur Aurelia's journey toward working behind the scenes dates back to his earliest memories. Shadowing his father working on grants at the local pharmacy’s copy machine to folding programs, helping build sets and even securing his first gant for Riverside Opera company when he was 15, Alan-Arthur’s childhood memories are very much wrapped up in the family businesses, which are: Riverside Opera Company, founded when Alan-Arthur was 8, Richmond County Orchestra when he was 10 and Tribecarts, INC/Tribeca Music & Art when he was 12. While he was given opportunities to act and found himself on stage, he preferred being in the wings, even creating a job for himself in 5th grade when his school staged A Midsummer Night’s Dream; he refused a part in the play, instead insisting on helping behind the scenes. 

After earning his degree, Alan-Arthur’s focus turned towards building the family companies so that he could earn a monthly stipend and move out of the house. With steady growth from 2012-2013, 2014 saw an opportunity to create arts-in-education programs in NYC Public Schools. Thanks to Councilwoman Debi Rose, Alan-Arthur secured his first award to create a 12-week residency program with Curtis High School. This program culminated in a production of Ravel/Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition with local art projected over the orchestra for each movement. The second half featured multiple ensembles from Curtis performing with their coaches from the residency. It was the first time his father, Maestro Alan C. Aurelia, ever let his son see a project from initial application through implementation and final reporting without intervention. By 2015, the program was running at Curtis High School and Stuyvesant High School. 

From 2015 – 2023, Richmond County Orchestra’s Side-By-Side Educational Outreach Program ran in both schools and featured productions of: Carmina Burana, 50thAnniversary of the Summer of Love, Motown Celebration, Concerto for Two Violins in D-minor by Bach, and many other works during this time. This program also ran at Wagner Middle School from 2020-2023. This program still runs at Curtis High School. 

Alan-Arthur is the current Executive Director of Richmond County Orchestra and an Administrative Assistant with Riverside Opera Company.