What is David DiChiera?
'''David DiChiera''' ({{IPAc-en|d|iː|k|aɪ|ˈ|ɛr|ə}} {{Respell|dee-ky|ERR|ə}};<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cyranotheopera.com/dichiera.html |title=Biography |access-date=2017-04-17 |archive-date=2016-03-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321144555/http://cyranotheopera.com/dichiera.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> April 8, 1935 &ndash; September 18, 2018) was an American [[composer]] and [[writer]]. He was the founding general director of [[Michigan Opera Theatre]]. He was born in [[McKeesport, Pennsylvania]]. He was known for his work ''Four Sonnets'' (1965), which was composed for [[soprano]] and piano. It premiered in 1978 at the [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts|Kennedy Center]]. From 1981 to 1993, DiChiera was appointed artistic director of the [[Dayton Opera]] Association. In 1986 he was appointed founding General Director of the newly formed [[Opera Pacific]]. DiChiera has served as a trustee for the National Institute of Music Theatre and as a board member of the American Arts Alliance. He has been a panel member for the [[National Endowment for the Arts]] (NEA) and chairman for the Opera/Musical Theater Panel. In February 2016, DiChiera announced his retirement, effective in July 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/2016/02/18/mot-dichiera-artistic-director-search/80550210/|title=MOT founder David DiChiera to retire in July 2017|access-date=April 17, 2017|date=February 18, 2016|author=Detroit Free Press}}</ref> In April 2017, DiChiera was diagnosed with [[pancreatic cancer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2017/04/13/mot-david-dichiera-pancreatic-cancer-opear/100433350/|title=Michigan Opera Theatre's David DiChiera has pancreatic cancer|author=David Lyman|date=April 13, 2017|access-date=April 17, 2017|publisher=Detroit Free Press}}</ref> DiChiera died on September 18, 2018 in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]] from the disease at the age of 83.<ref>[https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2018/09/18/david-dichier