The Conrad Prebys Foundation Awards San Diego Opera $350,000

Honoring its namesake's legacy and passion for philanthropic giving, The Conrad Prebys Foundation is celebrating the selection of 121 grant projects, which will receive nearly $78 million in grant funding during its inaugural grant cycle.

San Diego Opera is honored to be one of these recipients with an award of $350,000 which will make the foundation the company's Season Sponsor for its 2021 Spring and Fall Seasons. San Diego Opera's season continues next month the with the company's drive-in presentation of our annual concert One Amazing Night which will explore songs written in response to global pandemics in a program titled "When I See Your Face Again," and starring members of the San Diego Opera Chorus with the San Diego Symphony on April 24, 2021. The following night, on April 25, San Diego Opera will open with the first of four drive-in staged performances of Rossini's classic opera, The Barber of Seville. Additional performances of the beloved comedy are April 27, 30, and May 1. All performances will take place at Pechanga Sports Arena San Diego parking lot and begin at 7:30 PM. San Diego Opera's Spring Season will utilize the same safety precautions at the company's drive-in performances of La Bohème in October which heralded the return of live, in-person, opera to San Diego County for the first time since the start of the pandemic. These performances were seen by over 4,200 individuals while providing over 300 jobs to many who had not worked since March of 2020, and resulted in zero cases of COVID-19 transmission.

"San Diego Opera is incredibly appreciative of this gift from The Conrad Prebys Foundation. Conrad was a passionate supporter of the arts and a frequent San Diego Opera audience member," shares San Diego Opera General Director, David Bennett. "His legacy lives on with this gift and we are pleased to name The Conrad Prebys Foundation our Season Sponsor. This gift enables us to safely share the transformative power of live music with the community he so generously supported and loved."

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The selection process of the grants came at a unique time in history, and the awarded applicants reflect a balance between focus areas of personal interest to Conrad Prebys - including visual and performing arts, higher education, medical research, health care, youth development and animal conservation - and the urgent needs of these communities, which have been upended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Our staff and board are honored to serve as stewards for The Conrad Prebys Foundation, and with our role comes the responsibility to empower the nonprofits creating meaningful change across San Diego," said Erin Decker, Director of Grantmaking for The Conrad Prebys Foundation. "The grantees have exhibited an extraordinary level of resilience, innovation and compassion during this very challenging time, and it is these organizations that will heal our community in the months and years to come. The foundation is proud to be a part of their story."

In addition to the nearly $78 million in grants announced today, the foundation has already received letters of intent for its next grant cycle, which will be announced this summer. Looking beyond 2021, the foundation is committed to exploring innovative ways to maximize its impact in the region - from unique funding structures to strategic partnerships and the identification of urgent community needs.

"During his philanthropic years, Conrad experienced so much joy through the act of giving to causes he was passionate about," said Tony Cortes, a longtime friend of Conrad Prebys and Board Chair of The Conrad Prebys Foundation. "The foundation hopes that these gifts - including the many matching opportunities being funded - will inspire others to feel that same 'jump-up-and-down' joy through giving."

For more information on The Conrad Prebys Foundation or the grantees, visit www.ConradPrebysFoundation.org.