A quarterly roundup of milestones, trends, and company news.

Pop Culture and Opera

There is a notable increase in pop cul­ture figures engaging with opera, perhaps unsurprising as opera companies program more oper­atic adaptations of Broadway shows. The singer Sting brought a revised production of his Broadway musical The Last Ship to the Metropolitan Opera in June for nine per­formances after premiering it in Europe.

Also overseas, Ralph Fiennes, perhaps most famous for his portrayal of the dark wizard Voldemort in the Harry Potter film franchise but also a Tony-winning Broadway actor, directed Eugene Onegin at the Paris Opera in January, with the French publication Le Monde noting that Fiennes “elevated this delicate art of address — so often absent from operatic productions — to a remarkable level of clarity and refinement.” The Financial Times praised the production’s “cinematic detail, lavish outfits made with sumptuous fabrics, and historical precision.” Jackie Chan, the famous action film star, directed Turandot in May at the Guangzhou Opera House in China. The production then traveled to the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago, Italy, in July.

Tulsa Opera Reduces Expenses, Adds Performances

In June 2023, Tulsa Opera canceled several performances and added a smaller chamber opera, citing a 39% revenue decline during the previous year against a 22% increase in production costs and the resigna­tion of its general director and CEO. In the years since, Tulsa has turned the ship. The company has returned to selling out productions, grown operat­ing revenue by about 8%, cut expenses by more than 11%, and retired more than $2 million in debt.

The company has completed three successful audits. “We’ve also become much more intentional about listening to our community and authentically responding to its needs,” says General Director and CEO Lori Decter Wright, who took the helm in November 2023. “This more community-centered approach has expanded our reach, strengthened our partnerships, and built greater engagement with Tulsa Opera — results we’re seeing both at the ticket office and in the generosity of our donors.”

Welcome to AGMA

The artists and artistic staff at Opera Colorado have unionized. In July, the company announced its inaugural collective bar­gaining agreement with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) after three years of bargaining. The three-year agreement will cover principal singers, the chorus, stage directors, choreographers, dancers, and stage management, guaranteeing safe and healthy working conditions and reli­able pay. The parties reached an agreement on a side-letter that cov­ers the Artists in Residence program. Artists first petitioned the company to unionize with AGMA in 2023.

Portland’s Progress

When Portland Opera announced its $5 million SOS campaign — “Keep Portland Operatic” — in March, the Oregon Community Foundation provided a $1 million lead gift, helping the company com­plete its initial $1.5 million goal. The next phase of the campaign aims to raise $2 million by the end of 2026. As of publication, Portland Opera has reached $1.88 million, which the company attributes to “lots of indi­vidual contributions ... along with subscription renewals and folks contributing at our free summer events.” A third phase will take place from January to June 2027, with a final $1.5 million push for a grand total of $5 million.

Speaking with the Willamette Week, Portland Opera’s artistic director, Alfrelynn Roberts, said, “I don’t want it to seem as if it’s a contraction. I want to be deliberate that we can produce at the same level of quality that we’ve done in the past.”

New Partnerships

Three opera companies have announced key new collaborations. In a landmark new collaboration, Opera Colorado will work with the Centennial State’s other largest com­pany, Central City Opera, to create a co-production of the children’s opera Earth to Kenzie (Frances Pollock, composer; Jessica Murphy Moo, libret­tist). The production will be designed for grades 3–6 and travel to different schools around the state.

Temple University in Philadelphia will work with Opera Philadelphia to help collegiate-level opera students transition from academic life to professional life, with students covering small and non-singing roles in Opera Philadelphia produc­tions. The students will also work alongside professionals to make live recordings of Opera Philadelphia per­formances for release on Temple’s record label, BCM&D Records. The partnership is in the early stages of rolling out, with Opera Philadelphia General Director and President Anthony Roth Costanzo remarking to The Philadelphia Inquirer, “When I was a student, the experiences I had in a rehearsal room, meeting an art­ist, understanding how that artist worked, those were really crucial to me, and I want to be able to provide that for Temple students.”

One Million and More

In January, The Dallas Opera announced that it had raised $54.5 million in a fundraising campaign, thanks to a $25 million challenge by the O’Donnell Foundation that more than doubled the company’s previous $30 million endowment.

San Diego Opera in January announced that it had received a $4.5 million commitment from Irwin Jacobs to support the company’s 20-plus-year partnership with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra.

Lyric Opera of Chicago received $20 million in May from the local Negaunee Foundation to establish a permanent education endowment and a fund to support the presentation of a Mozart opera each season.

In August, Indianapolis Opera received a $1 million endowed gift from philanthropists Thomas and Bonnie Reilly to establish the Bonnie A. Reilly Legacy General Director Fund, endowing the company’s general director position.

Broadway-Style Touring

The Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Saratoga, Finger Lakes Opera, and Seagle Festival partnered this summer to present a 90-minute touring operatic adaptation of Happy End, a 1929 musical comedy with music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, and a book by Elisabeth Hauptmann, in which a gang of Chicago criminals runs up against the Salvation Army. The new production’s creative team included members of each company and traveled with its own lighting and scenery, which could adapt to different spaces, including museums and outdoor pavilions. The production ran from May 9 to July 31 and welcomed 2,304 attendees over 10 performances. The production is continuing to tour and will reprise with a performance at the Kaufman Music Center in New York City on November 12. ■