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Ausrine Stundyte as Cio-Cio-San, Elizabeth Janes as Butterfly’s child and Sarah Larsen as Suzuki in Seattle Opera's production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Photo by Elise Bakketun.
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Press Releases & Season Announcements
Would you like your press releases and announcements featured on the OPERA America website and in OperaLink? Submit the url to your announcement in the "Submit a Press Release" section. Press releases must be hosted on your own site or through a third-party site like Google Docs or PitchEngine. Please contact Patricia K. Johnson at PKJohnson@operaamerica.org with questions.
Please send all season announcements to Alexa B. Antopol (EAntopol@operaamerica.org), Reference & Research Librarian.
Marketing/PR Headlines
7th Annual Audience Development All-Stars
T.J. Raphael and Michael Rondon and Caysey Welton and Bill Mickey Audience Development

Welcome to the seventh annual edition of the Audience Development All-Stars—our list of some of the industry’s leading minds in the magazine media audience marketing discipline.

Publishers—both traditional and digital-only—are finding that data collection from a growing array of sources is pushing audience development into brand new territories.

Harnessing that data—from mobile and tablets to print, events, social and yes, the newsstand—has become one of the most critical elements of successful audience growth, product development and advertising sales.

Read on to see who’s creating some of the most innovative projects and strategies that are pushing our audience marketing and measurement industry forward.

Experiments in venue: Take me out to the … opera?
Marsha Lederman The Globe and Mail

San Francisco Opera wanted to fling open its doors, and find a new audience. The plan it came up with involved the Giants’s stadium – and you could say they hit it out of the park.

People from all walks of life huddle on the field in sleeping bags, having a picnic under the stars, and watching, for many of them, their first opera, simulcast in HD on a 31-metre-high video screen – all for free. The Opera at the Ballpark events have attracted as many as 32,000 people a night.

English National Opera launches 'secret seats' and Monty Python director to beat funding fears
Hannah FurnessThe Telegraph (U.K.)
The English National Opera is to launch a new seat “lottery” scheme in an effort to draw bigger audiences, with visitors paying £20 for a ticket without knowing where they will end up sitting.
Los Angeles Opera among recipients of new-audiences grant
David Ng LA Times
As the classical-music world continues to struggle with graying and shrinking audiences, companies are experimenting with ways to attract new crowds. On Tuesday, 13 opera companies across the nation were named recipients of a new grant from Opera America designed to foster attendance growth.

Based in New York, Opera America is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to promote and raise general awareness of opera as an art form. The group said it awarded a total of $300,000 in grants -- ranging from $7,500 to $30,000 -- under the new program, which is titled "Building Opera Audiences."

OPERA America Program to Aid 13 Companies
Allan KozzinnArtsBeat (The New York Times)
Thirteen opera companies across the United States will share $300,000 in grants awarded by OPERA America in the first year of its new Building Opera Audiences program. The grants, which range from $7,500 to $30,000, are for programs meant to increase first-time opera attendance, and to increase return visits.
Why Not Have City Opera Go Home to City Center?
Anthony TommasiniThe New York Times
Last spring, reflecting on the completion of New York City Opera’s first season as an itinerant company bringing productions to the people in theaters throughout the city, George Steel, its general and artistic director, defended his decision to abandon Lincoln Center and argued that things were going well.
Theater's Expiring Subscription Model
Terry TeachoutThe Wall Street Journal
"I'm in the ticket-selling business. If I don't sell tickets, we shut down. We used to do it by selling subscriptions. That gave us money up front, and it also made it easier for me to do serious work, because people were buying a five-show package, and they trusted me to give them a well-chosen, wide-ranging package each year. We'd do a comedy, a new play or two, a classical revival, maybe a couple of modern classics. August Wilson, Tennessee Williams, that kind of thing. Sometimes they didn't like all five. Maybe they never did. But they still went home feeling like they'd gotten a balanced diet, they'd done their duty to theater. And that used to matter to people. It really did. They thought that seeing good shows made you a better person."
New generation of opera singers slimming down before belting out
Trish CrawfordThe Toronto Star
Increased competition for scarce entertainment dollars, the introduction of HD videos and rising demands for action onstage are causing a sea change in operatic circles.
Atlanta Opera Appoints Tomer Zvulun as General & Artisic Director
BWW News Deskbroadwayworld.com
Atlanta Opera Appoints Tomer Zvulun as General & Artisic Director

Read more about Atlanta Opera Appoints Tomer Zvulun as General & Artisic Director by atlanta.broadwayworld.com

Atlanta Opera Appoints Tomer Zvulun as General & Artisic Director

Read more about Atlanta Opera Appoints Tomer Zvulun as General & Artisic Director by atlanta.broadwayworld.com

What Happened to Opera?
MikeyCBuzzfeed
When you weren't looking…we changed some things.
Christoph Waltz reportedly to make opera directorial debut
David NgLos Angeles Times
It looks like Christoph Waltz, who won his second Academy Award in February for Django Unchained,will be taking a career detour into the world of opera later this year.
Behind the scenes of San Diego Opera's Aida
Beth AccomandoKPBSSanDiego
KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando goes backstage of San Diego Opera's Aida
Supersizing a 'Sunday in the Park'
Jan BenzelThe New York Times
What happens when you take a Stephen Sondheim chamber piece — Sunday in the Park With George — and produce it operatically, quadrupling the size of the orchestra?
BBC Proms 2013 announced
StaffGramophone
The BBC Proms has unveiled its programme for this summer’s season. The announcement confirms details of the already-anticipated Ring Cycle from Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin, with soloists including Nina Stemme and Bryn Terfel. Other events marking the 200th anniversary of Wagner’s birth include Tristan and Isolde with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Semyon Bychkov, Tannhäuser with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Donald Runnicles, and Parsifal with the Hallé under Sir Mark Elder. Marin Alsop will conduct the Last Night, becoming the first female conductor to do so.
WDAV Supports Local Arts Festival
StaffPublic Radio Music Month
As public radio stations across the country unite in the name of music, the city of Charlotte, NC is celebrating local art, and local station WDAV Classical Public Radio is lending a hand.

This April, organizations such as the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Opera Carolina, North Carolina Dance Theater, and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art are partnering for Ulysses: Charlotte’s Spring Festival of the Arts. 
Syracuse Opera's artistic director Cathy Wolff departs after almost 17 years
Melinda JohnsonSyracuse.com
Cathy Wolff, general and artistic director of Syracuse Opera, is leaving her position after almost 17 years. Wolff announced her departure in an email. She wrote: “The leadership of the board has decided to take the company in a different direction from what I envisioned, and I have decided to close this chapter of my life, effective immediately.”
What if an Arts Organization was a MOOC?
Douglas McLennanDiacritical
That’s “Massive Open Online Course” and they’re everywhere right now. Some of the most prestigious universities are creating courses online and attracting tens of thousands of students.
Fort Worth Opera announces 2014 festival
Mark LowryThe Star-Telegram

One day before the 2013 Fort Worth Opera Festival is to begin, the organization announced the 2014 season, its 68th. Two of the 2014 works, both from this century, had previously been announced: the regional premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night and the world premiere of With Blood, With Ink. The rest of the season comprises one warhorse, Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, and Bizet's second best-known opera, The Pearl Fishers.


Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/04/19/4788165/fort-worth-opera-announces-2014.html#storylink=cpy
Chicago Opera Theater, Luna Negra Dance team for rarely staged tango opera
Kyle MacMillanChicago Sun-Times
Astor Piazzolla took these essential qualities of the tango and invested them with even greater depth and complexity, as he merged the traditional form with jazz and classical music and took it off the dance floor onto the concert stage.

Piazzolla’s nuevo tango style, which he pioneered in the 1950s and ’60s, became a hit with audiences of all kinds, and he remains one of the best-known composers of the 20th century.

Wishing to tap into the power and popularity of his music, Chicago Opera Theater, along with Luna Negra Dance Theater, will present the composer’s rarely performed tango opera, Maria de Buenos Aires.
'Django Unchained' pays homage to Wagner's 'Siegfried'
David NgLA Times
When Los Angeles Opera presented its new production of Richard Wagner's Siegfried a few years ago at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the packed house included the usual assortment of donors and local opera buffs. Nestled somewhere in the orchestra section was an odd man out: Quentin Tarantino, the filmmaker whose hyper-modern and manic sensibilities would seem at odds with slow-moving 19th century German opera.... Tarantino's feelings about Siegfried remain unknown, but it's safe to say his encounter with the opera eventually helped to inspire his most recent movie, Django Unchained, which is available on DVD and video-on-demand this week.
Opera Colorado announces 2014 slimmed-down season
Claudia CarboneExaminer.com
Opera Colorado has announced that its 2014 season will include only two productions: Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi and Carmen by Georges Bizet. In January of this year, the company announced a reorganization with a $1.2 million fundraising campaign that pared its offerings to two productions instead of the usual three per season. The "Stories that Sing" campaign has raised more than $1.3 million thus far, and donations are being accepted at operacolorado.org/support.
Opera Grand Rapids has unexpected surprises, including a new home, in 2013-14 season
Jeffrey KaczmarczykMichigan Live
Opera Grand Rapids will add two new works to its repertoire and move to a new home in 2013-14.
Wagner's Dark Shadow: Can We Separate the Man from His Works?
Dirk KurbjuweitDer Spiegel
Born 200 years ago, Germany's most controversial composer's music is cherished around the world, though it will always be clouded by his anti-Semitism and posthumous association with Adolf Hitler. Richard Wagner's legacy prompts the question: Can Germans enjoy any part of their history in a carefree way?
Opera classics delivered in "flash mob" style
StaffVancouver Sun
Five singers from Ópera Ambulante De Tijuana, or the roaming opera of Tijuana, sponsored by the Mexican Embassy, delivered their renditions of opera classics in "flash mob" style in the Carleton Galleria while students changed classes on Friday, September 14, 2012. The young opera ensemble was formed in 2010 with the intention of bringing classical opera vignettes to unconventional spaces unrelated to the operatic experience.
Opera In 3D Hopes To Attract New Generation
Lucy CotterSky News
An opera staged at The Barbican in London and written by author David Mitchell is using 3D technology to give audiences a multi-layered experience.
Small NYC Opera Companies Band Together in New Alliance
Naomi LewinOperavore (WQXR)
The New York Opera Alliance wants to help independent companies and producers share marketing, fundraising, costumes and other resources. Nineteen companies have signed up so far, from veteran groups like the Bronx Opera Company to newcomers such as On Site Opera.
Tweetphony: Metropole Orchestra Is Sending Musical Tweets
Igor BeukerViralBlog
Tweetphony by the Amsterdam-based Metropole Orchestra is sending musical tweets on Twitter to raise money. The Dutch government is cutting costs due to the crisis and art and culture are being hit very hard. Pro artists and musicians are being forced to be more pro-active and to commercialize their future activities to survive.
Bass, Tenor, Alto, Sombrero
Jennifer MaloneyThe Wall Street Journal
As opera companies and symphony orchestras across the country confront financial crises, Houston's main company is undergoing a surprising resurgence. The Houston Grand Opera is commissioning new works that tap into city's growing Hispanic community. Its most ambitious commission to date, "Cruzar la Cara de la Luna," or "To Cross the Face of the Moon," is the world's first mariachi opera, the company says.
Opera singers invade London supermarket
Ben LeeDigital Spy
A group of opera singers took shoppers at a supermarket by surprise this week. Dressed as casual shoppers and staff, the performers delivered a rousing rendition of the famous Italian classic 'Funiculì, Funiculà' in the middle of the Waitrose-run Food Hall at John Lewis on Oxford Street, London.
Opera Carolina uses more tech in 'The Pearl Fishers'
Michael J. Solendercharlotteobserver.com
Opera Carolina walks a fine line – The Magic Flute projection sets were too much for some patrons, so The Pearl Fishers opening Saturday promises balance.
Lyric Opera of Chicago prepares massive marketing push for "Oklahoma!"
Lewis LazareChicago Business Journal
Susan Mathieson Mayer is a busy lady this month. As Lyric Opera of Chicago's chief marketing honcho, she is tasked with making sure all of nearly 58,000 tickets for Lyric Opera of Chicago's new production of Oklahoma! are sold.
Shopera! Waitrose shoppers ambushed with surprise Italian opera
Asa BennettLondon Loves Business
John Lewis shoppers browsing the department store’s Waitrose foodhall were subjected to an operatic ambush this week.
And the nominees for this award which is sponsored by . . .
Ken DavenportThe Producer's Perspective
The Olivier Awards (London’s Tonys) announced their nominations last week. If you didn’t catch them, click here to see the complete list. And then let me know if you noticed anything ... ummmmm ... interesting.
Municipal Art Society Challenges Architects for New Penn Station Vision
Robin PogrebinArtsBeat (The New York Times)
In a way, it’s every architect’s dream – to re-envision Penn Station and Madison Square Garden in New York. The Municipal Art Society of New York is giving four design firms that chance with a challenge to be announced Thursday.
Arts Hub for All May Work for None
Anthony TommasiniThe New York Times
The visionary architect Frank Gehry remains committed to designing the performing arts center at the site of the former World Trade Center. But what exactly has Mr. Gehry been asked to design? What is it for? Which institutions, ensembles or companies will perform in the complex? Who will be its artistic leader?
Opera strips to bare essentials in kindred venue
Marika DobbinThe Age
It must be the first opera to be held in a strip club.
2013-14 Opera Omaha season lineup announced
StaffOmaha World-Herald
Three strong female characters will headline the three productions in Opera Omaha's 2013-14 season, dubbed a year of “Breaking Boundaries.”
Marie Soulier’s Opera Pour Un Salon brings the aria into your living room
StaffMetro UK
Forget book clubs. The latest intellectual pursuit to impress your friends with is a private opera viewing. One month you can focus on Baroque. The next you could dwell on Bel Canto. There’s no need to swot up in advance because the performances will come to you. In your living room.
Philharmoniker Hamburg Logo Redesign
David AireyLogo Design Love
Thomas Suess composed a sound logo from the wave obtained by the Hamburg skyline and its reflection in the water. The sound was later recorded by the Philharmoniker Hamburg orchestra.
Plato Karayanis to head The Opera San Antonio
Scott CantrellThe Dallas Morning News
Plato Karayanis, who was general director of the Dallas Opera from 1977 to 2000, has been named interim general director and CEO of The Opera San Antonio.
Reselling Digital Goods Is Copyright Infringement, Judge Rules
David KravetsWired
A federal judge is declaring as unlawful a one-of-a-kind website enabling the online sale of pre-owned digital music files.
Experience The Verona Opera For Free With Topflight
Staffthecorknews.ie
No trip to Lake Garda is complete without a visit to the Verona Opera and this year you could get your tickets for free if you book with Topflight. To celebrate the Centennial Festival of the Verona Opera, Topflight are giving away free tickets to some of Giuseppe Verdi’s most well known operatic performances including ‘Aida’ when booking a holiday to Lake Garda this August.
Nobody really cares about your brand
Tom DenariAd Age
You may spend most of your waking hours thinking about your brand and its category, as well as the facts and figures that make your product superior to the competitors, but your target audience really couldn't pay less attention.
Meet China’s Campy, Trendy, Opera-Singing First Lady
Maureen O'Connor NY Magazine
China's "glamorous, fashionable" new first lady Peng Liyuan is on her first official trip abroad with husband President Xi Jinping, visiting Russia and several African nations. There have been comparisons to Michelle Obama; Peng is "modern, outgoing, intrigued by fashion." She's also a diplomat with a focus on public health and AIDS, and a musical-theatrical propaganda singer famous for her performances in state-sponsored shows.
Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia team up for ‘Salome’
Peter DobrinThe Philadelphia Inquirer

Next season's previously announced performance of Salome, Richard Strauss' erotically charged biblical opera after Oscar Wilde's play, will be a co-production of Opera Philadelphia and Philadelphia Orchestra, the two groups announced Monday. It is the first in a series of anticipated collaborations between the organizations, though leaders could not say exactly where the sharing of resources might lead.

Deconstructing PIFA
Emily GuendelsbergerPhiladelphia City Paper
In the many, many studies done on the impact of the growth of the arts and culture in Philadelphia over the past decade, the word “ecosystem” is often used to describe all of the city’s galleries, audiences, artists, foundations and anything else involved with how art is produced and consumed. It’s a term that unfortunately evokes the image of a theater full of frogs and flies watching Shakespeare. If you extend the silly metaphor, though, there’s at least one useful image: Philly’s arts ecosystem is a bit like a pond where fish of all shapes and sizes are at an all-time high, but the water level keeps falling more and more each year. 
Regional Opera Company of the Week: Tulsa Opera
Scott Frostbroadwayworld.com
The first recorded opera performance in Tulsa dates back to 1904 with a production of Faust — just six years after the city was incorporated.
In the wake of mounting debt, the Nashville Symphony attempts to restructure its finances and its programming
John PitcherNashville Scene

Nashvillians will be hearing less of Gustav Mahler and more of Amy Grant, Vince Gill and Kenny Loggins next season at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. That's because the Nashville Symphony Orchestra is overhauling its schedule and programming for the 2013-14 season, placing a greater emphasis on pops concerts while eliminating seven of its 14 Thursday-night classical performances.

"Attendance for our classical concerts on Thursdays was much lighter than we had hoped," says Alan Valentine, the NSO's president and CEO. "People who go to our pops series are entertainment buyers who are attracted to the hall for different reasons, and we think those concerts can be more profitable. The bottom line is we need to bring in a lot more revenue to support the hall."

Rome Opera Fights for Survival and Public Loyalty
Elisabetta PovoledoThe New York Times
How does the opera house of a major European city, one that has long struggled to achieve the cachet of the legendary La Scala theater in Milan, try to reverse its fortunes?
Opera Aims for an Oscar Night of Its Own
George LoomisThe New York Times
Opera has long been in need of a helping hand, as the art form is rarely able to sustain itself commercially. The International Opera Awards, which will be presented for the first time this year, hope to energize the field further by recognizing achievement in a broad range of Oscar-like categories.

Spring 2013 Magazine Issue
  • Letter from the President/CEO
  • Of One: The Quest for Asian Fusion in the Opera House
  • Vancouver: Where Nature Nurtures Art
  • Inheriting the Wind
  • My First Time
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