Festival Opera Association
For General Operating Support
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Amount$90,000
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Program
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Date Awarded7/11/2016
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Term24 Months
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Type of SupportGeneral Support/Organization
Strategies
Overview
Festival Opera is a 30-year-old organization that brings contemporary productions and small chamber operas to the East Bay at affordable prices, providing greater access to opera goers. Along with standard repertory opera, Festival Opera has begun presenting productions by Asian composers or around Asian themes, building bridges to more diverse audiences and artists. Renewed support will allow the organization to increase its financial stability, ticket revenue, and interest in opera by presenting pre-production workshops to the community, giving audiences a chance to see the creation process and genesis of new works.
About the Grantee
Grantee Website
www.festivalopera.com
Address
1630 North Main Street, Suite 61, Walnut Creek, CA, 94596, United States
Grants to this Grantee
for general operating support
Under the aegis of its long-time artistic and music director, Michael Morgan, Festival Opera is widely regarded for its high-quality, innovative productions of classic operas, presented each summer at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Over the past two years, the organization has undergone significant changes, including the hire of a new executive director, a significant decline in revenue, and a subsequent decrease in programming. During the next two years, Festival Opera plans to enter a research and development phase. It seeks to re-envision its role in the arts ecosystem by experimenting in new and smaller-scale programs and engaging with new communities. We recommend a two-year grant term so we can closely monitor the organization’s transformation as it develops and begins to implement a new strategic plan.
