Webinars
OPERA America webinars offer a year-round series of learning opportunities that address key topics pertinent to the industry.
These general and network-specific sessions supplement in-person convenings with panel discussions and expert-led presentations.
2022–2023 Webinars
12 Tips for Effective Grantwriting
An OPERA America webinar on how to be more strategic when applying for grants
The Midterm Elections and Opera
How will the outcome of the midterm elections impact opera? Tony Shivers discusses the implications of the results.
Race in Opera: Blackface, Yellowface and Casting
A thought-provoking webinar delved into the complex history of Blackface and Yellowface, highlighting crucial ethnic and...
2021–2022 Webinars
Taking Care: Mental Health Care for BIPOC Opera Professionals
This session discusses issues of surviving predominantly white institutions, aligning to whiteness, and processing the...
Taking Care: Processing the Trauma of COVID-19
This session discusses the cumulative trauma created by the loss, anxiety, and burnout of living our day-to-day lives...
Taking Care: Mental Health Care in Professional Settings
This session discusses setting boundaries between your personal and professional lives, being your own best advocate for...
Taking Care: A Series on Mental Health for Opera Professionals
Licensed mental health professionals provide insights, tools, and resources for opera professionals to prioritize mental...
Taking Care: Balancing Caregiving and Personal Care
This session addresses how the burden of eldercare and childcare is being placed on women far more than on men.
Opera Conference 2021: Opening Session
Opera Conference 2021 kicks off with opening remarks and a lead presentation on Artists at the Center by tenor Lawrence...
Artists at the Center: Lead Presentation by Lawrence Brownlee
Lawrence Brownlee explores how opera companies can put artists at the center of their work.
U.S. Artist Visas and International Travel in the Age of COVID: Latest Update
Experts discuss what it takes to secure U.S. artist visas and navigate COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Achieving a New Normal: Panel Discussion
Panelists discuss the ways COVID-19 has cut across existing organizational silos.
Opera Conference 2021: Closing Session
A showcase of recent recipients of OPERA America grants and awards and a preview of professional development programs.
The Dimensions of Demographic Research
Experts and practitioners explore standard practices in demographics and how we can track our progress toward the...
Artists at the Center: Panel Discussion
A panel of artists and producers explore how opera companies can put artists at the center of their work.
The Politics of Art: Lead Presentation by Dr. Christia Mercer
Dr. Christia Mercer explores the dimension of our civic responsibility.
The Politics of Art: Panel Discussion
Panelists explore the dimension of our civic responsibility.
Achieving a New Normal: Lead Presentation by Julian Chender
Julian Chender discusses how new operating strategies will be needed to achieve new goals for the field.
The Two Hats of Board Members
The two roles of board members — and the uncomfortable place of staff in between.
High Net Worth Donor of Color Report
Hali Lee shares themes, highlights, and implications from her qualitative study of over 100 high net worth donors of...
Navigating the Great Resignation: Mitigating the Inevitable
A discussion on current trends in staffing, successful practices in cultivating loyalty, and ways to ensure transitional...
Navigating the Great Resignation: Building a Development Career
Career advice to opera fundraisers on how to maximize their impact and demonstrate their value to employers.
Digital Innovations in Philanthropy
Amy Lampi surveys creative advances in digital fundraising, including ways to engage with donors online.
Fundraising in a Small Shop
How to streamline and optimize your fundraising efforts at a small opera company, particularly with direct mail.
The Art of Asking
Greg Robertson highlights the concrete steps that go into a successful donor meeting.
SHADE: A Conversation About Race, Culture and Identity in Opera
A webinar presented by the Black Opera Alliance.
Racial Justice Opera Forum 2022 — Access Hub
Access Hub for the 2022 Racial Justice Opera Forum
The Changing Audition Landscape
A webinar discussing the evolving repertoire for auditions, barriers that singers of color must navigate to participate...
2020–2021 Webinars
Career Transitions for Artists: Cultivating New Skills
This webinar focuses on how performers can develop new skills and flex existing ones to pursue roles offstage.
Making Digital Pay: Lessons from the Frontline
Marquee TV gives a first look at its research into digital content consumption, in partnership with cultural consultancy...
Open for Business: A Season of Experimentation and Discovery
A discussion with arts leaders about learnings from their recent projects, near-term goals and strategies, and thoughts...
Digital Advertising Webinar
Digital advertising experts from Community Boost share how opera companies can make the most of Google Ad Grants...
Behind the Table: Demystifying the Opera Audition
A discussion about the realities of the opera audition process, from application to offer.
Reopening and Recovery
A discussion about the current progress in controlling the pandemic followed by an examination of opera's role as an...
Bringing Latinx Voices to the Opera Stage
This webinar features some of the most prominent Latinx and Hispanic artists and administrators in opera to discuss...
Managing the Challenges of the Inherited Repertoire
This two-part webinar explores the challenges and opportunities of re-examining the inherited repertoire through the...
Opera Hack Presentations
Winning teams present their ideas from San Diego Opera's two-day hackathon, Opera Hack.
Post-Pandemic Pricing
This webinar offers solutions for pricing situations brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, from digital content to...
Monetizing Digital Content
In this webinar, learn about digital content planning, available resources, digital business models, and monetization...
Understanding Rights for Digital Content
This webinar will take an in-depth look at the permissions required for producing digital content in a wide variety of...
Storytelling in the Time of Physical Distancing and Beyond
This session will provide thought-provoking discussion, artistic and acoustic considerations, and technology guidance...
Key Modes of Recovery Giving: Donor Advised Funds and Charitable IRA Rollover
Speakers share about donor advised funds and the use of charitable IRA rollovers — and how they may be beneficial in...
The State of Opera Artists
Composer Paola Prestini, soprano Talise Trevigne, baritone Jarrett Porter and bass-baritone Ryan McKinny share about the...
Recovery Fundraising for Opera Companies
Consultant Jeff Brooks presents on how to focus your recovery fundraising efforts and craft donor-centric messages that...
From Reset to Reinvention: Moving Opera Forward After COVID-19
Leaders from the opera industry explore what it means to create, produce, and enjoy opera after COVID-19— all through...
Engaging Your Board During Disruption
Consultant Susan Howlett will equip you with the tools you need to optimize your board leadership now and in the months...
The State of Opera: Part 1
Marc A. Scorca and general directors Annie Burridge (Austin Opera) and Ryan Taylor (Minnesota Opera) share insights into...
The State of Opera: Part 2
Marc A. Scorca and general directors Barbara Lynne Jamison (Kentucky Opera) and Andrew Jorgensen (Opera Theatre of Saint...
Advocacy Training for Opera Trustees
Marc A. Scorca and Laurie Baskin present a webinar for opera company trustees to learn the fundamentals of advocacy.
2020 Electronic Media Association Updates
Speakers discuss recent changes to the Integrated Media Agreement and COVID-19 provisions for moving recorded...