Anthony A. Bliss

Anthony Addison Bliss (April 19, 1913 – August 10, 1991) was an American music administrator and lawyer. He was the head administrator of the Metropolitan Opera for 11 years; serving first as executive director from 1974 to 1981, and then general manager from 1981 to 1985. Early life and education The son of Cornelius Newton Bliss Jr., Anthony Addison Bliss was born on April 19, 1913 in New York City. His father was a banker and philanthropist. In his youth he was educated at the Groton School in Massachusetts.

War service and career During World War II, Bliss served in the South Pacific as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy Reserve.

In 1974 Bliss succeeded Rudolph Bing as the executive director and head administrator of the Metropolitan Opera. At this time he left his law practice, and began the difficult task of taking over an organization which was then in a financial crises. He was successful at improving the Met's finances in his ten years as leader of the Met; a period which also coincided with a raising of artistic standards under music director James Levine. He was responsible for creating the Met's media and marketing departments, and was responsible for modernizing the company's approach to fund raising as well as increasing its endowment.

The improvements Bliss brought to the Met ultimately allowed the company to expand the length of its season. He played a role in the establishment of the television series Live from the Metropolitan Opera which began in 1977. In 1981 his job title (but not his responsibilities) was changed to General Manager. He remained in this role until his retirement in 1985.

Bliss was for serveral year vice president of the The Boys' Club of New York. He was also a board member of several other arts organizations; serving terms on the boards of the Joffrey Ballet, the American Arts Alliance, Lincoln Center, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to the National Council on the Arts when it was founded in 1965.

Personal life and death Bliss was married three times. He married Barbara Field in 1937. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1941. In 1942 he married Jo Ann Sayers. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1967. His final marriage to ballet dancer Sally Brayley in 1967 lasted until his death.

Anthony Addison Bliss died in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on August 10, 1991. He died from pneumonia and a brain hemorrhage at Queen Elizabeth Hospital