Recent Audience-Building Grant Awards
operaamerica.org/Grants
The Opera Fund: Audience Development grants help OPERA America Professional Company Members and their
partners to develop new and deeper relationships with audiences for new or infrequently produced American
operas and music-theater works. Activities must be held in conjunction with the creation and/or presentation of
the work. In 2015, 11 companies were awarded a total of $150,000.
2015 Recipients
CINCINNATI OPERA
Morning Star by Ricky Ian Gordon and William M. Hoffman
FORT WORTH OPERA
JFK by David T. Little and Royce Vavrek
GOTHAM CHAMBER OPERA
Charlie Parker’s Yardbird by Daniel Schnyder and Bridgette A. Wimberly
LONG BEACH OPERA
Hydrogen Jukebox by Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg
MICHIGAN OPERA THEATRE
Frida by Robert Xavier Rodriguez, Hilary Blecher and Migdalia Cruz
MINNESOTA OPERA
The Shining by Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell
OPERA SARATOGA
The Long Walk by Jeremy Howard Beck and Stephanie Fleischmann
OPERA THEATRE OF SAINT LOUIS
Shalimar the Clown by Jack Perla and Rajiv Joseph
SEATTLE OPERA
An American Dream by Jack Perla and Jessica Murphy Moo
SKYLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
The Snow Dragon by Somtow Sucharitkul
TULSA OPERA
Shining Brow by Daron Aric Hagen and Paul Muldoon
The next offering of Audience Development grants will be in 2016–2017.
For more information on The Opera Fund: Audience Development grants, contact:
Leah D. Wilson, director of learning and leadership, at
[email protected].
THE OPERA FUND: AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT 2015 PROJECTS
Morning Star by Ricky Ian Gordon and William M. Hoffman
In anticipation of its world premiere of Morning Star, which portrays a Russian-Jewish
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family adapting to life in the early 20 -century New York, Cincinnati Opera will create a
series of programs to cultivate audiences. The grant will support three parts of this series:
The Ricky Ian Gordon Songbook Concert, in which local singers will perform selections from
Gordon’s works with the composer at the piano; a documentary film about the creation of
Morning Star by Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmakers Julie Reichert and
Steven Bognar; and Meet the Morning Star Creative Team, a forum in which the composer
and librettist will speak about the creation of their opera.
JFK by David T. Little and Royce Vavrek
Designed to reinforce the world premiere of JFK — an operatic work about the final hours
of President John F. Kennedy’s life — Fort Worth Opera will launch JFK: Five Decades of
Progress, an eight-month community engagement event series that will explore social
progress from JFK’s inauguration in 1961 through the present day. Fort Worth Opera will
partner with organizations throughout North Texas to produce events that highlight topics
surrounding the piece, including the creative impetus behind the opera, the evolution and
role of aeronautics in the United States, race and civil rights issues, and the evolution of
political discourse in the media.
Charlie Parker’s Yardbird by Daniel Schnyder and Bridgette A. Wimberly
In anticipation of the New York premiere of Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, Gotham Chamber
Opera will present Charlie Parker in New York, a series of public events that will provide
New Yorkers with access to the life and work of jazz legend Charlie Parker. Activities will
include a symposium at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; a lecture at
the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation; a walking tour of East Village sites
associated with Parker, including his historic home; and a concert at a New York City jazz
venue that will include excerpts from the opera and compositions by Parker.
Hydrogen Jukebox by Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg
Long Beach Opera will partner with several local organizations and personalities on a series
of events connected to its production of Hydrogen Jukebox, a kaleidoscopic retrospective
of American counter-culture. Programs include a cultural monuments tour of downtown
Los Angeles with Charles Phoenix; a matinee screening of the cult classic Easy Rider at the
historic Art Theatre of Long Beach; and a meal with the opera’s director at a 1960s Los
Angeles diner. LBO plans to target audiences that are interested in opera, theater, visual
and performing arts, movies, and American history and politics.
Frida by Robert Xavier Rodriguez, Hilary Blecher and Migdalia Cruz
Michigan Opera Theatre will celebrate and promote the Michigan premiere of Frida
through Community Opera Club events in 12 Southeastern Michigan communities. This is
part of a pilot project to establish a permanent network of community-based clubs in
association with MOT’s annual opera season. The goal is to create an informal, social and
personal way to interest new people in opera, as well as encourage those who already love
opera to become more deeply involved in supporting, promoting and learning about the
art form.
Learn more about these and other OPERA America grant programs at operaamerica.org/Grants.
The Shining by Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell
As a part of its New Works Initiative, Minnesota Opera will present The Shining, a world
premiere opera based on the 1977 novel by Stephen King. To demystify the process of
creating opera, Minnesota Opera will host musicians of the St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra
at educational events and workshops associated with the opera. In addition, Minnesota
Opera artists and staff will work with the St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra to perform a piece
from The Shining for local audiences.
The Long Walk by Jeremy Howard Beck and Stephanie Fleischmann
For the world premiere of The Long Walk, produced in partnership with commissioning
organization American Lyric Theater, Opera Saratoga will present programming relating to
the opera’s central character, a soldier and explosives expert who returns from Iraq. In
collaboration with the New York State Military Museum and other community partners,
Opera Saratoga will create programs that explore the highly topical issues of veteran
reintegration, post-traumatic stress disorder and blast-induced traumatic brain injury, as
well as the challenges faced by families of those who have served in the military.
Shalimar the Clown by Jack Perla and Rajiv Joseph
In support of the world premiere of Shalimar the Clown, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis will
host a series of audience engagement events featuring author Salman Rushdie, composer
Jack Perla, librettist Rajiv Joseph and tenor Sean Panikkar, as well as a variety of other
artists. Engagement events will focus on the adaptation of an acclaimed novel into an
opera, the changing face of contemporary opera, shifting global politics, and common
themes of humanity across different ethnicities and religions.
An American Dream by Jack Perla and Jessica Murphy Moo
The world premiere of An American Dream will be accompanied by programming inspired
by the two Seattle women on whom the opera is based: Mary Matsuda Gruenewald, a
Japanese-American author who was incarcerated as a young girl during World War II, and
Marianne Weltmann, a Jewish-German opera singer whose family escaped Hitler’s Europe.
To inform and enrich the performance experience for the audience, attendees have the
opportunity to engage with the work and its stories through participatory activities,
including tableaux vivants, theatrical vignettes, and conversations with the creative team
and community members, before and after each performance.
The Snow Dragon by Somtow Sucharitkul
For its world premiere of The Snow Dragon, Skylight Music Theatre will organize a series of
activities to engage new audiences, connect young adults with opera and deepen
audiences’ understanding of the art form. Activities will include behind-the-scenes tours,
artist talks and community discussions. Building upon interest in Sucharitkul as both a
musical composer and writer of science fiction, the company will also host an “Operacon”
science fiction convention to coincide with the opera’s opening weekend.
Shining Brow by Daron Aric Hagen and Paul Muldoon
The story behind Shining Brow will be explored through Art, Architecture, and Opera on the
Prairie, a series of programs about the opera’s protagonist, Frank Lloyd Wright. Inspired by
a symposium on Wright’s architectural presence in Oklahoma, Tulsa Opera will facilitate a
discussion between the opera’s composer and a group of art enthusiasts, architecture
students and Tulsa Young Professionals. After this event, the company will carry out a
social media effort to maintain awareness of the arts. Tulsa Opera also plans to strengthen
its relationship with Philbrook Museum of Art in order to explore artistic themes relevant
to the opera.
Learn more about these and other OPERA America grant programs at operaamerica.org/Grants.
OPERA America’s Building Opera Audiences grant program
assists the efforts of Professional Company Members to build
audiences for opera through projects that lead to new and
more frequent attendance at opera performances.
Generously supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty
Foundation, these one-year grants offer assistance for new
initiatives and existing programs that cultivate new attendees, retain current or lapsed audiences and foster
deeper loyalty among existing patrons. A total of $300,000 has been awarded each year of this program.
2015 Recipients
2014 Recipients
2013 Recipients
FLORIDA GRAND OPERA
Opera in Hialeah
ARIZONA OPERA
¡Viva la Opera!
AMERICAN OPERA PROJECTS
Have a Voice
LOS ANGELES OPERA
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Re-Branding Opera for the 21 Century
CENTRAL CITY OPERA
Boomer Bus
ARIZONA OPERA
¡Viva Opera!
LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO
Audience Loyalty Development
CINCINNATI OPERA
The Opera Express
FLORENTINE OPERA COMPANY
Bohème Society
OPERA LANCASTER
Generation Next
LOS ANGELES OPERA
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Re-Branding Opera for the 21 Century
LOS ANGELES OPERA
Newcomer Project
OPERA MEMPHIS
30 Days of Opera Documentary
LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO
Caminos a la ópera
MADISON OPERA
Opera in the Park Research Survey
OPERA SARATOGA
Saratoga Sings!
OPERA PHILADELPHIA
Consumer Engagement Research Project
OPERA ON THE JAMES
GET REAL
PORTLAND OPERA
Opera a la Cart
PALM BEACH OPERA
Opera @ the Waterfront App
OPERA MEMPHIS
30 Days of Opera
TAPESTRY OPERA
Indie Opera TO
OPERA THEATER OF PITTSBURGH
My First Opera
UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA
Creative Community
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA
Community Open House
SARASOTA OPERA
Summer Screening Series
SEATTLE OPERA
Preferred Subscriber Program/
Select Your Own Seat
SYRACUSE OPERA
IDEAS Collaborative
VANCOUVER OPERA
Transporting Opera Audiences
Guidelines for the 2016 grant cycle will be available in fall 2015 at operaamerica.org/Grants.
For more information about Building Opera Audiences, contact:
Patricia K. Johnson, director of marketing and communications, at
[email protected].
Learn more about these and other OPERA America grant programs at operaamerica.org/Grants.
2015 PROJECTS
FLORIDA GRAND OPERA (Miami, FL) | fgo.org
Opera in Hialeah
Florida Grand Opera will expand its cultural alliance with the City of Hialeah, FL, which has a large
population of low- and moderate-income households, of which more than 94 percent are
Hispanic. The alliance, which began in the 2014–2015 season, includes activities such as a literacybased program that takes place in local libraries, an experiential workshop program in high
schools, and a myriad of programs for adults and seniors at the Milander Entertainment Center,
including Spanish-language concerts and senior dances. In the 2015–2016 season, FGO plans to
increase the scope of the program by offering Hialeah residents free transportation to its
productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia and Don Pasquale.
LOS ANGELES OPERA (Los Angeles, CA) | laopera.org
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Re-Branding Opera for the 21 Century
Los Angeles Opera will continue its campaign to promote opera to the public by placing opera and
opera-related stories in popular television, film and other entertainment media. The project,
which received its initial funding from a 2014 Building Opera Audiences grant, works to secure
opera placements in a number of major TV and films. The second year of Re-Branding Opera will
focus on developing a plan to grow and sustain the project as a lasting initiative. While continuing
to secure placements, Los Angeles Opera will develop long-term sustainability by evaluating the
elements of the consultant efforts that can be accomplished by in-house staff, identifying funding
sources and exploring partnerships with other opera companies in order to share resources.
LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO (Chicago, IL) | lyricopera.org
Audience Loyalty Development
In recent years, Lyric Opera of Chicago has created a wide range of new programming to increase
the company’s relevance and broaden its civic impact, engaging tens of thousands of new
audience members. Now, Lyric will implement strategic audience development research to
determine what factors drive company loyalty within new populations of audiences and how the
company can develop relevant and appealing loyalty programs. Lyric will study how new
audiences interact with the company and how to develop activities and marketing tools to appeal
to different segments of its entire audience. Through this research, Lyric will be equipped to
create an informed loyalty development roadmap, which will enable the company to cultivate
interest, improve customer service, address barriers to attendance and make all audiences feel
welcome.
OPERA LANCASTER (Lancaster, PA) | operalancaster.com
Generation Next: A Young Artist and Young Audiences Program
Through Generation Next, Opera Lancaster will engage no fewer than 10,000 South-Central
Pennsylvania school children and young adults in personal opera experiences. First, the
company will captivate elementary-aged children through Opera Tales: The Three Little Pigs,
produced since spring 2014 in collaboration with Lancaster Bible College. Second, as part of a
new joint partnership with Millersville University, the company will create a program featuring
highlights from Carmen for middle and high school students. Lastly, the company will grow the
younger generation’s appreciation of opera through a Come to the Show program, marketed
specifically to families, which will offer free children’s tickets to opera events.
OPERA MEMPHIS (Memphis, TN) | operamemphis.org
Deepening the “30 Days of Opera” Experience
Opera Memphis will increase the scope of its 30 Days of Opera program, a month-long audience
development initiative launched in 2012 and presented by Evolve Bank & Trust. Each
September, the program delivers 30 consecutive days of free performances throughout the
Memphis area, inspiring hundreds of attendees to purchase tickets to Opera Memphis’
mainstage performances. New for 2015, Opera Memphis will embed a documentary filmmaker
with the 30 Days performers. The resulting footage will provide content for a new website that
will be updated daily with customized links, along with lively video segments featuring singers
and audience members. The website will target 30 Days attendees with opera-related
experiences that bridge the gap between thinking about attending an opera and actually buying
a ticket.
OPERA SARATOGA (Saratoga Springs, NY) | operasaratoga.org
Saratoga Sings!
Saratoga Sings! is designed to increase Opera Saratoga’s civic footprint, build awareness of the
company in the region, and increase both loyalty and ticket sales. Through the program, Opera
Saratoga will offer free monthly performance events from October 2015 through May 2016,
leading up to the company’s summer festival. These programs will take place at strategically
selected locations unique to the region that provide opportunities for the public to connect to
opera in familiar settings. The program will leverage collaborative partnerships with historical
and cultural organizations, as well as local businesses. Through the use of a customized loyalty
app, the program will provide a vehicle through which the company can build loyalty, collect
market research, and motivate new and expanded paid participation at summer festival
performances.
PORTLAND OPERA (Portland, OR) | portlandopera.org
Opera a la Cart
This audience development project is inspired by the mobility and ingenuity of the city’s food
cart culture, which is internationally celebrated and a source of local pride. Portland Opera will
create a traveling performance cart inspired by the food truck aesthetic. The cart’s foldout
platform will be a performance stage and its chalkboard menu items will be the operatic
specials du jour — arias, duets and ensembles performed by charismatic young singers for the
crowds that will gather. Attendees will be provided with a “takeout menu” highlighting
upcoming activities, the mainstage opera schedule and a new “It’s My First Time” package,
which will offer specially priced tickets, a rehearsal invitation, introductory materials and a
preview CD. The package will be redeemed through a dedicated promotional code, allowing the
company to track responses and evaluate success.
TAPESTRY OPERA (Toronto, ON) | tapestryopera.com
Indie Opera T.O. — Up-rising
Twelve independent opera companies have come together under the leadership of Tapestry
Opera Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori to embrace the collective power of interorganizational collaboration and promotion. Driven by the energy and innovation of emerging
indie opera leaders in Toronto, the initiative will provide resources for associated companies to
promote their activities to a wider audience base by building, consolidating and tracking an
interactive and cross-promotional web and social media presence, effectively promoting indie
opera in Toronto as a vibrant underground movement led by visionary young artists and arts
professionals. Associated companies include Against the Grain Theatre, Opera 5, Bicycle Opera
Project, Essential Opera, Metro Youth Opera, Liederwölf, FAWN, Urbanvessel, Loose TEA Music
Theatre, The Friends of Gravity and Opera After Hours.
Learn more about these and other OPERA America grant programs at operaamerica.org/Grants.
UTAH SYMPHONY | UTAH OPERA (Salt Lake City, UT) | usuo.org
Creative Community
Utah Opera will collaborate with local artists in Salt Lake City’s active and diverse creative
community to host innovative events that celebrate creativity and create a nexus of varied
disciplines united by opera. With the goal of increasing awareness and spurring attendance for
opera, events will highlight the many art forms that come together as part of the opera
experience. Creative Community targets a highly desirable and potentially large pool of
trendsetters and leaders in Utah’s creative class who are opera newcomers and may not be
aware the natural alignments existing between opera and other forms of creative expression.
Attendance results at these events and Utah Opera productions will be analyzed to determine
which segments of the creative community are most likely to attend opera and which
collaborations were most effective in increasing opera attendance.
2014 PROJECTS
ARIZONA OPERA (Phoenix and Tucson, AZ) | azopera.org
¡Viva la Opera!
During the 2013-2014 season, with help from OPERA America's Building Opera Audiences grant
and a partnership with Univision, Arizona Opera (AZO) forged new and lasting relationships
statewide with initiatives that focus on welcoming communities that are often underserved by
the arts. AZO has enjoyed meaningful successes in these initiatives, including Spanish-language
concert programming, targeted marketing for program initiatives, Univision spots for AZO
productions and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of La bohème that Univision has
submitted for EMMY consideration. In its second year, Arizona Opera seeks to cement ¡Viva la
Opera! as an integral and lasting part of its yearly programming, making it a sustaining
component of AZO’s company identity.
CENTRAL CITY OPERA (Denver, CO) | centralcityopera.org
Boomer Bus
Central City Opera (CCO) will be building on its analysis of a three-year innovation project by
implementing the Boomer Bus. This new program is designed to attract individuals ages 50-65 to
attend live opera performances in Central City. Participants will board a bus in Denver and be
treated to a live history presentation of Central City and CCO, a catered lunch in the gardens, a
behind the scenes experience, a Short Works program and a full live opera performance. The
entertaining bus ride returning to Denver will include an opportunity for a Q&A session with a
member of CCO's education and community engagement team. In order to track repeat
attendance, participants will be offered a promotional code for discounted tickets to another
2014-2015 CCO production.
CINCINNATI OPERA (Cincinnati, OH) | cincinnatiopera.org
The Opera Express
For too many people, going to the opera is perceived as time-consuming, expensive and
geographically inaccessible. Cincinnati Opera will offer a direct and efficient answer to these
barriers: a high-quality opera experience that is brief, affordable and goes where the audience is.
The Opera Express will be a mobile opera theater housed inside a converted semi-trailer. In
groups of 16 to 20, guests will enter a stylish, comfortable performance space. The door will
close, the lights will dim and the opera will begin. Performances ranging from 10 to 15 minutes
will feature professional singers, lighting, costumes and scenery. Launching in the spring of 2015,
The Opera Express will deliver theatrical opera experiences to new audiences throughout the
Cincinnati metropolitan region, and the potential for expansion is significant.
Learn more about these and other OPERA America grant programs at operaamerica.org/Grants.
LOS ANGELES OPERA (Los Angeles, CA) | laopera.org
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Re-Branding Opera for the 21 Century
LA Opera seeks to pilot a program to more heavily insert opera into popular media culture
through an entertainment-based content marketing campaign, also known as product
placement. This campaign will seek to integrate positive opera related stories and references
into film, television and advertisements, exposing wider audiences to the art form and breaking
down commonly held stereotypes about opera. LA Opera will partner with a content marketing
agency to create pitches and promote opera to industry professionals as a valuable and viable
storyline option. The ultimate goal of this pilot program is to develop long term strategies that
increase familiarity and enthusiasm for the art form as a whole, thereby benefitting the entire
opera industry and its many companies.
LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO (Chicago, IL) | lyricopera.org
Caminos a la ópera
Lyric Unlimited, a division of Lyric Opera of Chicago, will implement Caminos a la
ópera (Pathways to Opera), designed to build and sustain Latino audiences. Having established a
dynamic relationship with this large and growing demographic, Lyric will increase its involvement
in Chicago’s Latino communities by offering relevant programming both in the opera house and
in neighborhood venues. Caminos a la ópera will encompass collaboratively designed
community engagement programs and the creation and presentation of new artistic works
including a new mariachi opera, El pasado nunca se termina. These efforts will include
the fostering of new and established community partnerships, involvement with local schools
and increased targeted marketing efforts.
OPERA PHILADELPHIA (Philadelphia, PA) | operaphila.org
Consumer Engagement Research Project
Opera Philadelphia seeks to redefine the way it relates to the public by understanding the
motivation, values and consumer experience of current and potential audiences, in order to
simultaneously meet new consumer needs and propel its artistic mission. Over a two-year
period, the Opera will engage consultants with deep expertise in consumer insight from outside
the arts and culture field to conduct a two-phased consumer segmentation research study. The
research consultants will employ surveys, focus groups and experience mapping to evaluate how
audiences perceive the Opera’s brand across a spectrum of entertainment options – not just
within the arts sector. The project results will help to inform marketing and product strategies
that address consumer motivations and create a pioneering model for audience-building in the
field.
PALM BEACH OPERA (West Palm Beach, FL) | pbopera.org
Opera @ the Waterfront App
Funds provided by OPERA America’s Getty Audience Building Program will support the
development of Opera @ the Waterfront App, a custom app to be implemented at Palm Beach
Opera’s free, outdoor Opera @ the Waterfront (O@tW) concert on December 13, 2014. O@tW
strives to broaden Palm Beach Opera’s audience through a free community concert for
individuals to experience live opera with a full orchestra and chorus at the Meyer Amphitheatre
in downtown West Palm Beach, FL. The innovative custom app further engages participants in
the curated arts experience by providing a two-way dialogue between O@tW audience
members and Palm Beach Opera staff through real-time updates, such as fun facts and aria
translations, as well as the ability to survey and receive audience member feedback throughout
the concert.
Learn more about these and other OPERA America grant programs at operaamerica.org/Grants.
2013 PROJECTS
American Opera Projects (AOP) will create a mobile application called Have A Voice to engage
and expand opera audiences. By utilizing technology to foster feedback and discourse, the new
platform will attract a technologically savvy audience to the art form, while providing useful
feedback to creative artists. This cross-platform app will allow audiences to share their feedback
with a network of performing arts organizations while simultaneously sharing content on partner
website and popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. An achievement
system will encourage users to remain active in the system in order to attain electronic or
physical rewards, such as badges, discounts and tickets.
In partnership with Univision Arizona, Arizona Opera’s ¡Viva Opera! project will build upon the
opera company’s foundation of outreach and education in the Hispanic community that has
included in-school programming and Spanish-language marketing. Arizona Opera seeks to lead
the state’s cultural and artistic institutions in cultivating a welcoming, inclusive and broad-based
relationship with Arizona’s Spanish-speaking Hispanic community. Specific activities funded by
the grant include: short Spanish-language TV and radio spots for the Phoenix and Tucson
markets, events for young Hispanic professionals and Hispanic-owned businesses, free family
events for Hispanic audiences and tourism incentives for northern Mexico communities.
Florentine Opera Company will launch a new Young Professionals Group, the Bohème Society,
to identify, engage, foster and involve the next generation of opera aficionados in the life of the
opera company. Using information gained through focus group sessions with young community
leaders, and in consultation with the Bohème Society Advisory Board, Florentine Opera will
create a series of value-added experiences and events for young audiences, such as scene
showcases, film screenings combined with performances, backstage tours and receptions.
Florentine Opera will also design a mobile app providing information about the opera company,
its productions and artists; social media content; Bohème Society event news and audio pieces.
To maximize visibility for this project, Florentine Opera will work with a range of strategic media
partners to run a media campaign that will include digital marketing, radio spots, print, guerrilla
marketing and more.
In an effort to introduce new audiences to opera, Los Angeles Opera’s Newcomer Project is
designed to demystify opera and bring it back to its roots as a popular and ubiquitous art form
that is an integral part of the Los Angeles community. Creating a safe and approachable
environment for people to experiment with a new art form, the project shepherds newcomers
through every step of the opera experience, from discounted ticket pages and preparatory
resources to informational programs and social events. The major effort is to cultivate a
community of culturally-curious newcomers who together can share in the process of a new
experience, learn collectively and, most importantly, have a fun and engaging encounter with
opera.
This summer, Madison Opera will open its new home, the Madison Opera Center, which
includes a rehearsal hall that can be used for expanded community programming. In order to
understand how to best use this asset, Madison Opera will work with the University of Wisconsin
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Survey Center to conduct an extensive survey of the audience at the 12 annual Opera in the
Park in July. Over 14,000 people attend Opera in the Park, but as it is a free and unticketed
event, it is difficult to capture information about who is attending. The Survey Center will use its
staff to gather data to determine what activities will engage those audiences in the life of the
Opera Center and increase attendance at all opera performances and events, encouraging this
large summer audience to become year-round attendees.
Learn more about these and other OPERA America grant programs at operaamerica.org/Grants.
With its GET REAL project, Opera on the James seeks to create an innovative model for changing
attitudes of urban youth concerning opera and its value as a uniquely powerful form of musical
story telling. A short mixed-genre opera, GET REAL will meld updated portions of the plots from
operas that are part of its mainstage season in new orchestrations with hip hop rhythms,
percussion and brass, hip hop dance and spoken word. Videography will create fresh, urban
visuals that are vibrant and easily portable. GET REAL will feature two duet scenes, each with an
emerging opera professional and a regional actor/dancer.
In September, Opera Memphis will present 30 Days of Opera — a month-long program aimed at
breaking down the perceived barriers that prevent many people from experiencing the power of
opera. Over the course of 30 consecutive days, the company will offer over 50 free
performances at more than 40 different locations, all across the Memphis region. These events
will introduce opera into the daily routines of local residents — at farmers markets, restaurants,
schools and street corners. In the process, they will create a trail of breadcrumbs that leads to
the opera house. In this second year of the program, Opera Memphis will expand its roster of
singers, which will significantly increase the number of free performances it can deliver.
Through their new My First Time initiative, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh plans to break down
opera stereotypes to make the opera experience feel more approachable and relevant. My First
Time will target young professionals and opera newcomers in an attempt to attract and engage
those who might not initially consider themselves opera fans. This new campaign will
experiment with creative engagement solutions including blog and vlog entries created by opera
newcomers, using social media tools to let users capture and share short looping videos on
Twitter, generous discounts and welcome bags with fun treats for new ticket buyers, red carpetstyle photo ops as first timers arrive at performances, video booths during performance
intermissions to capture feedback and post-performance focus groups.
San Francisco Opera will present its second Community Open House event this fall, designed to
reach and engage those who are new to the organization, especially families with children and
people ages 21-40. Virtually every square inch of the historic War Memorial Opera House will be
transformed into event space. Free to all, the day-long event will feature included technical and
musical demonstrations, a self-guided tour, an Opera in an Hour movie, workshops with young
resident artists, arts and crafts and an opportunity to meet the general director. Following the
conclusion of the Community Open House, San Francisco Opera will continue to engage
attendees with its full range of year-round activities through tailored packages, special ticket
offers, newsletters, workshops and more.
Sarasota Opera, with a performance season occurring in the fall and winter, will expand its
offerings to include a Summer Screening Series of European opera productions broadcast to the
Sarasota Opera House. Tickets for the broadcast series will be bundled into subscription
packages that will include Sarasota Opera’s live performances, providing an incentive to existing
subscribers who live in Sarasota year-round. Sarasota Opera will enrich the broadcast experience
by providing pre- and post-performance activities, such as performances by local artists, Q&A
with artistic staff, behind-the-scenes opportunities and casual receptions with artists and staff.
By launching this broadcast, Sarasota Opera is able to expand its programming into the summer
season while also encouraging attendance to its mainstage season by bundling the tickets into a
subscription package.
Learn more about these and other OPERA America grant programs at operaamerica.org/Grants.
Through two initiatives, the Preferred Subscriber Program and Select Your Own Seat web
module, Seattle Opera will enhance patron experiences, inspire earlier purchase and encourage
more frequent attendance. The Preferred Subscriber Program will enhance the patron
experience at McCaw Hall with a dedicated concierge service that allows subscribers to
exchange or purchase additional tickets, pre-order intermission food and drinks, pick up
program books and pose for commemorative photos. Subscribers will also be invited to a new
Subscriber Appreciation Day at Seattle Opera’s rehearsal studios and costume shop to learn
about each production’s preparations. Improvements to the Select Your Own Seat module
include the ability to purchase tickets on mobile devices and incentivize add-on purchases within
the same transaction, which will increase Seattle Opera’s ticket sales from online users.
Syracuse Opera will broaden its audience by participating in the IDEAS Collaborative, a new
community-wide database comprising of ticket buyers from 43 arts, cultural and heritage
organizations. With geographic and demographic analysis conducted by a specialized consultant,
Syracuse Opera will identify a list of 4,500 households new to the organization who have the
highest likelihood of purchasing opera tickets. Four direct mail pieces featuring Buy One Get One
Free offers will be sent to these targeted households to encourage them to purchase tickets to
Syracuse Opera productions.
Vancouver Opera’s Transporting Opera Audiences project will engage prospective patrons in
outlying municipalities that are home to diverse cultural enclaves which currently encounter
attendance barriers, including distance, price and unfamiliarity with opera. Vancouver Opera will
engage these communities in two phases: first, by producing affordable sampler concerts that
will introduce opera to audiences in their communities; and second, by partnering with British
Columbia’s transit authorities to transport these audiences downtown to a mainstage
performance. Designated “Opera Trains” will take passengers to the opera house, entertaining
them along the way with programming about the performance they are about to experience.
Participants will travel for free and will receive a discount on their mainstage ticket that is
equivalent to the cost of their initial concert ticket.
Learn more about these and other OPERA America grant programs at operaamerica.org/Grants.