The arrival of fall is accompanied by the excitement of season openings, and American operas continue to figure as prominently as they did through the summer. I wish I could have cloned myself and seen them all, but I did manage to attend the premiere production of American Apollo at Des Moines Metro Opera and The Righteous in Santa Fe. This means I missed lots of great performances of new and recent operas — for which I apologize — but it’s wonderful that I can’t keep up with the creative output of all the talented artists working in opera today.

This summer was a period of significant research. We were motivated to conduct a major study by reports from many of our members that they are welcoming record levels of newcomers to their companies. Thanks to a deeply appreciated grant from the NEA and additional special gifts, we were able to engage Slover Linett, a well-known cultural research firm based at the University of Chicago. Through June and July, 36 companies distributed 190,000 surveys. We received approximately 10,000 unique responses. A third of them were from newcomers to opera. We will issue a full report shortly and host a webinar about it on November 22, but the findings are encouraging. Newcomers who returned for at least one subsequent performance were the most enthusiastic of all audience segments documented in the study.

From recent Zoom meetings with our members, we’ve gained the sense that the field has moved beyond the uncertainty of the pandemic. Yes, COVID is still with us, but we have come to know how to manage it personally and institutionally. Rather than throwing their hands up with the frustration of unpredictability, members are looking to the future and planning. It’s a challenging operating environment, to be sure, but we’re not feeling as buffeted as we were over the last four years.

In the process of planning, many companies are working to identify their unique place in the opera ecosystem — either nationally, locally, or both. They’re trying to articulate a convincing case for support rooted in the unique contribution they make to their cities and the art form. Is it their commitment to new work? Their young artist programs? Their community service? I admire each company’s determination to respond more intensely to local civic priorities and to help shape the future of American opera. Yes, our companies are challenged by increased costs and audience retention, but they understand that to meet essential fundraising goals, they have to convey a compelling value proposition to individual and institutional funders. These are the kinds of questions we prefer over COVID protocols! 

Election day is November 5. I remember an interview with Ruth Bader Ginsburg in which she reminded the audience of law students that we Americans have many privileges that come with responsibilities. One of these responsibilities is to vote. Regardless of your political affiliations, please participate in our precious democracy by voting next month.