Over $250,000 in Grants to Be Awarded Through Four Programs

OPERA America, the national service organization for opera, announces four grant programs to be administered through June 2011. Grants totaling more than $250,000 will be awarded through the following programs:

Opera Fund Repertoire Development
Opera Fund Repertoire Development grants assist OPERA America Professional Company Members and their partners in meeting the special costs incurred by developing and producing new North American opera and music-theater. Repertoire Development grants allow the creators and/or producers to assess and refine a work in progress. The grant may be used to offset creative fees, recording expenditures for evaluation and archival purposes, or other costs associated with the development of a new opera/music-theater work, including but not limited to a lab production, workshop, reading or revision.

Over the past 20 years, OPERA America’s Opera Fund has provided grants totaling more than $10.5 million to assist companies with the creation and development of works such as Akhnaten (Glass), Cold Sassy Tree (Floyd), Dead Man Walking (Heggie), Elmer Gantry (Aldridge), Frau Margot (Pasatieri), Little Women (Adamo), Margaret Garner (Danielpour), Nixon in China (Adams), Shining Brow (Hagen) and A Streetcar Named Desire (Previn).

Intent to apply deadline: August 23, 2010
Application deadline: October 1, 2010

Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Showcase
The Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Showcase is a bi-annual program offered as part of OPERA America's continuing effort to foster emerging opera artists. Emerging director-designer teams submit a production proposal for a work selected from a list of North American operas. Four teams chosen as finalists will receive a stipend to create more complete renderings and models for the concept and will receive a trip to Opera Conference 2011 in Boston, MA to present their production proposal to a group of opera company general, artistic and production directors. The program connects promising directors and designers with those who are in a position to promote their careers. Members of all four finalist teams from the first Director-Designer Showcase in 2009 have been offered career-advancing opportunities with opera companies across the U.S. as a result of their showcase participation. OPERA America is grateful for the commitment from The Tobin Theatre Arts Fund to continue this granting initiative.

Intent to apply deadline: August 23, 2010
Application deadline: October 1, 2010

MetLife Foundation Music! Words! Opera! Teacher Training Program
The MetLife Foundation Music! Words! Opera! Teacher Training Program provides grants to Professional Company Members and their school partners to host training workshops for teachers using OPERA America's multi-level curriculum series, focusing on opera masterpieces while allowing students to produce their own opera. Since its inception in 1990, Music! Words! Opera! has served more than 32,500 students, nearly 1,300 music educators and over 600 music programs.

Application deadline: September 10, 2010

New Works Exploration Grants
New Works Exploration Grants provide support to representatives of OPERA America Professional Company Members who wish to travel to another city to attend a performance or workshop of a new opera and meet with the creative artists and administrators who are responsible for the work’s creation. The goals of the program are to broaden awareness of new North American opera and music-theater works across the field and create relationships among opera companies interested in pursuing the creation and production of new works. Grants cover the cost of transportation and lodging. OPERA America gratefully acknowledges The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for its support of this program.

Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until June 1, 2011.

These grant opportunities exemplify several of OPERA America’s key objectives: enhance the vitality of opera in North America through the creation and production of new works, develop an understanding and appreciation of the art form among future audiences, and encourage creative artists who will write and interpret new works.

“We are delighted that The Tobin Theatre Arts Fund, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and MetLife Foundation have made generous contributions to OPERA America in support of these programs,” stated OPERA America President & CEO Marc A Scorca. “Along with our own improved endowment, which supports The Opera Fund grants, these opportunities provide invaluable support to a wide range of opera constituents, including opera companies, educators and artists.”

Further information, including guidelines and application procedures, is available at www.operaamerica.org/grants.

These grant opportunities are made possible through the generosity of Opera Fund donors and The Tobin Theatre Arts Fund, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and MetLife Foundation.

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