OPERA America Announces Opera Fund: Repertoire Development Recipients

By: Dec. 23, 2013
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OPERA America, the national service organization for opera, is pleased to announce it has awarded grants to nine opera companies through its Opera Fund: Repertoire Development grant program. These grants provide vital financial support to opera companies developing new North American opera and music-theater works.

Repertoire Development grants allow creators and/or producers to assess and refine a work-in-progress. The grants may be used to offset creative fees and other costs associated with the development of a new opera/music-theater work, including lab productions, workshops, readings and revisions.

A total of $225,000 is being awarded to the following nine opera companies: American Lyric Theater (New York, NY), Beth Morrison Projects (New York, NY), Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera and Washington National Opera.

Over the past 20 years, OPERA America's Opera Fund has provided grants totaling nearly $13 million to assist companies with the creation and development of works such as Akhnaten (Philip Glass), Cold Sassy Tree (Carlisle Floyd), Dead Man Walking (Jake Heggie), Elmer Gantry (Robert Aldridge), Frau Margot (Thomas Pasatieri), Little Women (Mark Adamo), Margaret Garner (Richard Danielpour), Nixon in China (John Adams), Shining Brow (Daron Hagen) and A Streetcar Named Desire (Andre? Previn).

"Fostering the creation of new works by American composers is a cornerstone of OPERA America's mission," stated Marc A. Scorca, president/CEO. "Through the generosity of Opera Fund donors, Repertoire Development grants assist in increasing the vitality and diversity of our art form," he continued.

Recipients of the Repertoire Development grants were selected by a panel of industry leaders, including mezzo-soprano Joyce Castle, librettist Michael Korie, composer John Musto, bass-baritone Eric Owens, composer Caroline Shaw and stage director Tazewell Thompson.

The Opera Fund was launched by The National Endowment for the Arts, and is funded by The Helen F. Whitaker Fund, Lee Day Gillespie, Lloyd and Mary Ann Gerlach, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation.



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