Festival Opera Association

Festival Opera is a small-budget company based in the East Bay that presents innovative productions of classic operas, as well as smaller contemporary chamber operas. During the past two years, the organization experienced leadership transitions, as well as financial challenges due to missed fundraising goals. However, with new leadership, Festival Opera has identified strategic goals to continue to produce high quality artistic work to reach thousands of community members.

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.