Portland Opera to Launch Phase Two of KEEP PORTLAND OPERATIC Fundraising Campaign

Portland Opera, the legacy Pacific Northwest arts company has moved into Phase Two of its multi-phase $5 million SOS fundraising campaign. Titled KEEP PORTLAND OPERATIC – Save our song. Secure our future, it is a 16-month campaign aiming to stabilize operations, protect artistic excellence, and position the company for long-term sustainability.

Phase One was a resounding success, seeing the company achieve its first interim goal of $1.5 million by the end of June 2026. Led by a transformative $1 million gift from the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), the campaign quickly gained traction and has allowed for announcement of the upcoming 2026/27 opera season DRIVEN BY VISION.

Like many performing arts organizations nationwide, Portland Opera continues to navigate the financial aftershocks of the pandemic, rising production costs, and shifting audience patterns.

'Across the country, opera companies are contracting, closing, or retreating from risk,” says Alfrelynn Roberts, Portland Opera's Artistic Director. “Here at Portland Opera, we're choosing a different path - one grounded in artistic rigor, community relevance, and long-term sustainability. We are building an organization that does not separate excellence from access, or ambition from responsibility.'

Beth Lewis, Director of Development at Portland Opera says, “Portland Opera is vital to the Pacific Northwest arts ecosystem. We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our community, and truly grateful for everyone who has made a gift to our campaign…but we're not done yet! We look forward to seeing you at Opera a la Cart this summer, and when our season opens in the fall.”

Portland Opera's goal for Phase Two is to raise another $2 million raised by the end of the 2026 calendar year. The organization anticipates strong support from individual donors to meet this goal. Supporters at all levels are invited to contribute to help the company continue to inspire, educate, and strengthen community in the Pacific Northwest.

Funds raised through the KEEP PORTLAND OPERATIC campaign will:

• Sustain hundreds of artists, musicians, craftspeople, and staff who power the Pacific Northwest arts ecosystem
• Protect and expand vital community programs, including Portland Opera to Go (POGO) — which has reached nearly 300,000 students — and Opera a la Cart, the mobile performance program bringing live opera directly into neighborhoods across the region all summer
• Create capacity for transformation, with a leaner, nimbler and more transparent operating model designed to grow earned revenue and secure long-term financial stability

The next act begins with you! Donations can be made at portlandopera.org/donate or by contacting (503) 241-1802 or giving@portlandopera.org

The upcoming productions of the 26/27 season DRIVEN BY VISION are currently available by subscription and are as follows:

La Traviata

Friday 11/6/26
7:30 PM,
Sunday 11/8/26 2 PM
Keller Auditorium
Performed in Italian with English titles

Portland Opera to Go: The Crown Maker

Friday 12/4/26
7 PM, Saturday 12/5/26 1 PM & 3:30 PM
World Trade Center Theatre
Performed in English

Porgy and Bess

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