In the opening hours of Opera Conference 2022, a panel of distinguished speakers debated whether the mission of an opera company should be centered exclusively on the production of art or civic engagement through art. There is often a pull to do one or the other, said moderator Torrie Allen, president and CEO of Arts Midwest. “In my experience as an opera producer, there are folks who are completely unconcerned about civic responsibility. They want ‘pure’ opera, as I’ve heard it described before. Others want the polar opposite — they want you to get into the mix.” How can companies balance the two?