UT San Diego reports that after 49 years, San Diego Opera has voted to fold at the end of this season. The executive committee, General and Artistic Director and CEO Ian Campbell, along with the board of directors, voted 33-1 today to cease operations.
"We saw we faced an insurmountable financial hurdle going forward," Campbell said in a statement. "We had a choice of winding down with dignity and grace, making every effort to fulfill our financial obligations, or inevitably entering bankruptcy, as have several other opera companies. Our board voted today to take the first choice."
Despite "years of balanced budgets" and a reputation for solid fundraising, the San Diego Opera cited "donor exhaustion" and low ticket sales for 2013 and so far in 2014.
San Diego Opera's final production will be DON QUIXOTE, which closes on April 13, 2014. The company will officially close by June 30.
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