Next Stage Grants support Professional Company Members and their producing partners in presenting the second or subsequent production of existing, under-performed North American works.

OPERA America’s multi-decade support of new work has helped make contemporary opera integral to the repertoire in communities across the country. Yet, only a select number of works live on beyond their initial premiere.

Next Stage Grants, first offered from 1995 to 1998, and revived in 2020, allow opera companies to mount new productions of previously performed new operas with the opportunity to edit, adjust, and refine the works for new audiences.

Next Stage Grants are supported by Gene Kaufman, Terry Eder-Kaufman, and New Vision for NYC Opera, with additional support from the Mellon Foundation. From 1995–1998, the program was supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Grant Details

Next Stage Grants award up to 50% of performance costs: up to $25,000 to present an existing production, up to $50,000 to originate a new production, or up to $75,000 to originate a new production as part of a consortium. Supplemental support is available for score, libretto, or orchestration revisions.

Eligibility: OPERA America’s Professional Company Members based in the United States and Canada may apply.

How to Apply

Professional Company Member staff can log in to view loan guidelines and application deadlines. To learn about becoming a Professional Company Member, visit Organizational Membership.

Meet the Grantees