Tomer Zvulun and the Atlanta Opera: at Crossroads (A)

N9-418-012 JANUARY 13, 2018

MICHAEL L. TUSHMAN

KERRY HERMAN Tomer Zvulun and The Atlanta Opera: At Crossroads (A)

As Tomer Zvulun, CEO and artistic director of The Atlanta Opera (the Opera), headed down the hall to the rehearsal room, he passed through the wardrobe department, noting the neatly organized floor-to-ceiling stacks of shoes and boots lining the wall and turned on the lights in the rehearsal room; in another 30 minutes the Opera’s orchestra would be warming up for a full rehearsal of Don Pasquale. It was late March, 2017, and opening night was Saturday, just four days away.

Despite the gloomy, cold spring weather, the Opera’s offices were abuzz. The week of a new performance always brought a jolt of excitement, but the company had enjoyed a renewed sense of energy and optimism with subscriptions and pledges from donors up, and ambitious new programming scheduled for the upcoming seasons. Much of this was due to the extraordinary efforts of the Opera’s board, and its 2013 decision to hire Zvulun, a young, charismatic artistic and stage director with no managerial experience, as the Opera’s new general and artistic director.

In 2012, the former CEO had resigned unexpectedly and the board took over running the company. “The financials were in a mess,” a board member recalled. By 2013, with the search for a new CEO underway, the Opera was in a “death spiral,” as several board members recalled. One added, “We faced some significant deficits, morale was low, and the passion was just not there.” “We were one mistake away from shutting our doors,” recalled Rae Weimer, associate director of development.

Most opera companies have two leaders: an executive director for operations, financials and other management aspects, and an artistic director. It was unusual for one person to have both sets of skills; the responsibilities could pit the two roles against one another. “Sometimes you’re forced to give something up in the short term of one production for the longer term health of the organization,” said one insider. Opera Board Member Cathy Adams recalled, “Sure it was risky to hire one person for both roles, but we didn’t have enough money for two people. And we were persuaded by Tomer’s vision, reputation and enthusiasm.”

While Zvulun had been New York City’s Metropolitan Opera’s stage director, and had a rising reputation as brilliant stage and artistic director, he had never run a company. He acknowledged, “The idea was exciting but scary. I had no idea how to ask for money from donors; I had never had to sit down and make a balance sheet.” He looked down at his jeans and soft-sole shoes, adding, “And being in an office, behind a desk holding meetings? Who does meetings? I do rehearsals.”

Professor Michael L. Tushman and Associate Director Kerry Herman (Case Research & Writing Group) prepared this case. It was reviewed and approved before publication by a company designate. Funding for the development of this case was provided by Harvard Business School and not by the company. The citation review for this case has not yet been completed. HBS cases are developed solely as the basis for class discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management. DoCopyright © 2018Not President and Fellows of HarvardCopy College. To order copies or request permission or to reproduce materials,Post call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to www.hbsp.harvard.edu. This publication may not be digitized, photocopied, or otherwise reproduced, posted, or transmitted, without the permission of Harvard Business School.

Three years later, by 2017, the Opera was back on track. Net assets were up by 27.6% over the previous year. Fundraising had increased by $2.6 million, a 64% jump from FY15-16 (see Exhibit 1). The seasons’ schedules balanced traditional popular main-stage opera with performances of new work, innovative interpretations of traditional operas, and inventive stagings of productions in new, accessible settings. Zvulun had initiated several innovative programs, including The Discoveries Series, and the U.S. debut of an international co-production of Silent Night, which had turned the opera world’s spotlight on Atlanta. A spring performance of The Secret Gardner—in a community garden— had garnered rave reviews in The New York Times, prompting a prominent Atlanta arts supporter and a successful venture capitalist, to proclaim, “The Atlanta Opera is on fire!”

The impact was wider ranging. Younger audiences were attending. While donors supported about 70% of the Opera’s income, and subscriptions were ramping back up; ticket sales were on a steady increase. Zvulun had built out a professional management team and expanded the Opera’s arts production team, but the growing popularity, increased performances, and expanded higher-profile productions were stressing Zvulun’s and the organization’s capabilities. Was it time to hire a seasoned chief operating officer? Previously, operations, finance, human resources (HR) and information technology (IT) had all sat under the Opera’s CFO’s purview. But his plate was full, and further, Zvulun felt the time had come to bring in a more senior leadership partner. Zvulun and his senior team debated who should fill this role: an insider who had experience with the Opera and had helped steady its recuperation and recent growth? Or an experienced outsider who would continue to raise the senior team’s capabilities to help take the Opera to the next level?

Zvulun’s ambitions were broad reaching. He envisioned raising the Opera to the level of a tier one company—on par with top U.S. operas such as those in Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C., and Sante Fe. “What distinguishes top companies such as the Met or Seattle?” Arthur Fagen, the Opera’s music director, and chair of Orchestral Conducting at the University of Indiana, said. “They can mount a performance of Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle, the holy grail of the opera world.” Bringing on board a seasoned, experienced COO could provide the anchor to Zvulun’s senior leadership team, act as an alter-ego for Zvulun, and relieve some of the day-to-day pressures on Zvulun, leaving him more time and freedom to focus on the Opera’s longer range vision and growth and fundraising to support those aims. But could he relinquish control to such a partner; could he share the stage?

As they considered Zvulun’s ultimate ambition—launching a Ring Cycle—his senior leadership team weighed the implications of such a goal. Was this the right vision for Atlanta? Was it too much of a reach? Could they depend on Zvulun? Some worried, would Atlanta be enough for Zvulun? For Zvulun, the birth of his daughter Maya, in June 2016, had prompted him to acknowledge he was planting roots in Atlanta; could he reconcile his growing international reputation as an innovative stage director with a more settled life in one U.S. city? And if he could find a middle ground for these ambitions, what would he need to adjust in his management approach? These personal, organizational, and professional considerations weighed heavily on Zvulun and the board.

A Brief History: Opera and the United States

Meaning “work” in Italian, opera used words (the libretto) sung to music to convey a story to audiences.1 Operas tended to tell stories with drama and grand themes, and drew from a range of literary or artistic sources, from mythology, Greek and Roman tragedies, to Shakespeare and even Docontemporary Not events.2 Copy or Post 2

Drawing upon the foundations laid by ancient Greek dramas, opera emerged in 16th-century Renaissance Italy.3 From its founding, opera continually evolved, from the splendor of the Baroque Era to the grandeur of the Romantic Era and realism of the 20th century.4

Large orchestras typically accompanied singers, which combined with elaborate sets and costumes to achieve the opera’s dramatic effect.5 Wrote one observer, “While opera combines music, plot and the spectacle provided by the sets, costumes and staging, the result is much more than the sum of the parts. It is truly an audio-visual art form.”6

Operas were performed by principals, who played the lead characters, and the chorus, which either advanced the plot or provided observations. Singers’ voice ranges spanned from soprano (the highest female range) to bass (the lowest male range).7 Behind the scenes, the stage director managed the staging of the production while the conductor led the orchestra, singers and chorus, though an additional chorus master might work with the chorus as well.8 Designers and choreographers also contributed to the staging of a production. The general director managed the entire opera company. He or she was responsible for tasks such as setting a company’s strategy, managing budgets, fundraising, and reaching contract agreements, among other duties.9

Throughout its history, opera crossed national borders and oceans, as composers, singers, and conductors moved between opera houses. This tradition continued in the 21st century with the globalization of opera, and performers, directors, designers, and company managers worked for different companies, sometimes throughout the world, over the course of their careers.10

Operas were notoriously expensive to produce, and ticket sales rarely covered production costs.11 The skills required to perform and produce an opera involved high labor and production costs, with the potential of the latter to climb higher as new technology, such as digital controls, became more prevalent.12 Opera companies sought ways to both sell tickets and attract new audiences. For example, in 2006, the New York Metropolitan Opera (The Met) offered high-definition streaming of performances in movie theaters.13 By 2017, these performances were offered in 70 countries on over 2,000 screens.14

Unlike in Europe, where public support could account for over 80% of a company’s funding, most opera companies in the U.S. did not receive significant public funding.15 They largely relied instead on donations and ticket sales.16 Though financing was a long-term struggle, it became particularly serious in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.17 “But the problems of opera in America predated the recession,” one observer noted, “and there’s never good reason to wait to address them: the stagnant repertory; the necessity of big stars, like Mr. [Plácido] Domingo, to sell almost anything; the focus on escapism over innovation and relevance.”18 Further, in more recent history, opera was associated with an aging, white, wealthy and primarily urban educated audience.

The 2007-2009 recession hit the entire arts community very hard, opera companies included. Several important operas across the U.S. had to reduce performance schedules, and reported significant losses. By 2017 many were just starting to see improved financial performance.

In 2017 there were 145 opera companies in the U.S. They were categorized into five tiers, with The Met in its own category (Tier 1-Tier 5; see Appendix A for more information). Staging an opera was the most expensive and complex art form. Opera productions could be elaborate affairs that involved dozens of employees and at tier 1 and some tier 2 companies, as many as hundreds of employees. A San Diego Opera performance of Samson and Delilah in 2007 required a conductor, 50 symphony musicians, two music librarians, a chorus master, a rehearsal pianist, 80 chorus members, a stage Dodirector, eightNot principal artists/singers, Copy a choreographer, an assistant or choreographer, Post 12 dancers, 19 3

supernumeraries, a super captain, a studio teacher, a lighting designer, an assistant lighting designer, a director of production, a production manager, a light board operator, three follow-spot operators, three “Digitext” technicians, a production carpenter, 35 stagehands (carpenters, electricians, prop men, sound technicians, etc.), a wig and makeup designer, 13 wig and makeup crew members, a wardrobe supervisor, 30 wardrobe crew members, a production stage manager, an assistant director, two assistant stage managers, and an intern.19

Development and production costs for smaller opera companies could include a commission for the composer (typically around $50,000 to $100,000 depending on the size of the opera), a commission for the librettist (typically a little less than the composer’s), legal fees (for negotiating the agreement between the composer and librettist), workshops (rehearsal sessions for specific segments of the opera), payments to employees (singers, musicians, etc.), rent for rehearsal and/or performance space, scenery and lighting, and advertising.20

History of the Atlanta Opera

The capital of Southeastern U.S state Georgia, Atlanta was deemed to be the birthplace of the civil rights in the U.S. Headquarters to companies such as Coca-Cola, Home Depot, UPS and Delta, and home to the 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta was considered an up and coming city whose flair had changed significantly since the 1970s. In 2017 Atlanta had about half a million inhabitants.

The Atlanta Opera was formally launched in 1979 as a 501(c)(3) (originally called the Atlanta Civic Opera). Before 1979, the Met had performed in Atlanta as part of its “summer season.”a From the early 1900s through the 1970s, the Met stayed for one week during the summer each year and played a different opera each night; the annual event was a popular social event frequented by the city’s prominent citizens and accompanied by upscale parties. After the Met eliminated its Atlanta tour stop, Atlanta residents became increasingly interested in establishing a prominent local opera.21

The Opera originated as a merger of Atlanta Lyric Opera and Georgia Opera. The Opera performed its first performance, La Traviata, on March 28, 1980 at the 4,518-seat Fox Theatre, located in Midtown Atlanta at the heart of the Fox Historic District. After five performances, the Opera relocated several miles up Peachtree Street, to the 1,748-seat Symphony Hall. The Symphony Hall, home venue of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, was a part of the Woodruff Performing Arts Center, located in Midtown Atlanta and along with the Atlanta High Museum, anchored Atlanta’s Arts District.

Over the next few years, the Opera also performed at various other venues, including Alliance Theatre, Spivey Hall, and the Cathedral of St. Philip.22 In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Opera typically selected three operas per year and would perform each between two and five times.23

From its earliest days, the Opera’s board regularly debated the benefits of a permanent performing home for the Opera. In 1995, the Opera officially relocated back to Fox Theatre, and in 1998, private donations allowed the organization to move into a private rehearsal space with administrative offices, The Atlanta Opera Center.24 In 2003, the organization moved its primary performance space again, this time to the 4,591-seat Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center.25 By this point, the Opera’s annual repertoire generally included four productions.26

In 2004, Dennis Hanthorn became the Opera’s general director. Hanthorn was regarded as a charismatic, transformational leader that vastly improved the performance caliber of the Opera.27 In

Doa This was a commonNot arrangement for citiesCopy that did not have their own opera company. or Post 4

2006, the Opera sold its administrative offices; the following year, it relocated to the Cobb Energy Centre. By 2011, the recession had hit the company hard. Hanthorn, under pressure by a constricting budget, cut the number of productions per season from four to three.28 Weimer, who joined in 2009, recalled, “The company was on the brink of going out of business. We were out of the market nine months out of the year.” Normally at five full-time and one part time staff in development, the development team dropped to two. The director of development had to leave for family reasons as well. “It was a hectic period, pretty chaotic,” Weimer added. Board members recalled the time as “mysterious.” “We had few early warnings, which resulted in a series of awful disclosures. Every meeting was bad news. It never felt like you were getting the full story. We were relying on sketchy numbers. It was a pessimistic, urgent time,” board member Cathy Adams said.

In 2011, a $9 million bequest from a former board member helped stabilize the Opera’s finances. Half of the gift was committed to the Opera’s permanent endowment, bringing that fund to $5.6 million; half went to paying down deficits. In 2012, Hanthorn unexpectedly resigned; the board, led by Bill Tucker and Rhys Wilson, took over running the Opera as they sought a new director.

Tomer Zvulun

Anything I do in terms of work, it better be of the highest quality and it better provide surprise.

— Tomer Zvulun

Born in Israel, Zvulun became interested in opera after seeing the film The Magic Flute at age 13.29 He served as a medic in a combat unit in the Israeli military before attending the Tel Aviv Open University, focusing on languages, music and arts. He emigrated to the U.S. in 2001. He worked as a stage director for the Metropolitan Opera for seven years. In 2011, he married Susanna Eiland, a former singer who had grown up in Alabama, and worked at Juilliard and in development at the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center.

By 2013, Zvulun had already directed a number of productions all over the world, including with operas in Dallas, Cincinnati, Buenos Aires, Seattle, Tel Aviv, and New York’s Julliard, and was regarded a rising star in the field. He was familiar with the Atlanta Opera as well, having directed several productions for the Opera, including The Flying Dutchman (his debut performance in 2009), The Magic Flute (2010) and Lucia di Lammermoor (2011). His innovative interpretations of classic operas had been performed around the world. He had also showcased new pieces by contemporary composers. As audience preferences shifted, Zvulun was focused on harnessing new technologies and taking risks in order to keep opera relevant to a new audience.30 He was also willing to blur the lines between traditional opera and musical theater—something that some opera purists disagreed with—in order to broaden the audience. Finally, he believed that it was important to retain the classically trained vocalists traditionally associated with opera, and that such vocalists should also be skilled actors.31

A Career Decision

In 2012, Zvulun learned from Fagen that the Opera was looking for a new director. He recalled his initial motivations for pursuing the role: “I was increasingly frustrated over not having control over casting and other aspects of the performances I directed. I knew that I was good at that side of the business, had good instincts. But at the same time, I had never applied for something like this. I imagined fund-raising would be the scariest part.” Zvulun had been to Atlanta and liked the city. Eiland pushed Zvulun to apply; he continued, “She saw me as having development talent—an ability Doto raise funds. Not Something I didn’t seeCopy in myself. She told me, ‘You orcan have more Post control in a role like 5

this and have a great impact on the country.’” He added, “My experience was taking a vision or idea and getting the rest of the team to buy into it, and then execute it. That’s also like running a company. I just need to get everyone to realize the vision.”

The interview process was long. Zvulun remembered, “More and more I saw that I wanted the job. I realized the thing that attracted me was the thing I was also the most uncomfortable about— fundraising. The scariest things are where the most growth and creativity can come.” He continued: “I was not 100% confident about asking for money because I’d never done it. The finance responsibilities worried me. I knew I had a mind for math, but had never sat down to make a balance sheet. And finally, I wasn’t sure of working in an office—being behind a desk, having meetings. I was used to being on the artistic side.”

As he moved through the interview process and discussed his own concerns about his lack of finance capabilities with board members, they reassured him that the Opera’s current CFO was strong and had lots of experience. He recalled, “’Don’t worry,’ they said, ‘You’ve got an experienced CFO behind you.’” The board’s biggest pause was Zvulun’s lack of fundraising experience. They asked, “Why do you think you’re going to be successful?” He recalled, “I told them, ‘When you’re passionate—and no one is more passionate about opera than me—others get excited.’”

The board narrowed their short list to three candidates: a former Opera director; an MBA with management experience in the arts; and Zvulun. The board was also trying to decide whether to have the Opera become a part of the Woodruff Center (Atlanta’s most influential arts institution). “There were a lot of balls in the air,” one board member recalled.

By March 2013, the board had decided on Zvulun. Board member Rosemary Brown recalled, “Some on the board thought he was a very risky choice. But nobody brought the level of contagious enthusiasm Tomer brought. No other candidate was remotely close. And we would get two directors for the price of one.” The board relied on profiling from management consulting company Gallup; the report on Zvulun came back with the highlight: “Don’t hire this guy. He’s not prepared.” Others worried Zvulun would use Atlanta as a training ground, and move on to bigger things quickly. Howard Palefsky, board member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and prominent Atlanta arts supporter, said, “You find someone like Tomer, you know you’re going to lose him to one of the bigger companies.” Zvulun was in great demand. When he signed the contract, Zvulun was already slated to direct nine new productions at operas around the world over the next few seasons.

Even with these concerns, the search committee felt the Opera was ready for a change. They decided on Zvulun. “We were impressed with his vision,” said Adams, “and the youthfulness he brought.” She added, “He was a medic in the Israeli army. This is a man unafraid of danger. We had a visceral reaction to him. His charm and charisma were magnetic. We sensed he had an ability to raise money. Even if he did not believe this himself.”

Zvulun admitted to qualms as he took the job:

I was used to production work, where you have an intense four to five weeks and then never have to see each other again if we don’t like each other. How do you deal with people who have a different culture than you do? Someone had set up lunch for me with the chief marketing officer of Coca Cola. I thought, “What do I have in common with him?” Same with our board members and come audience members—they are in their 70s and 80s, “What do I have in common with them? How would I relate to them?” I’m a curious person, I was so fascinated by these people. I was used to working with artists, it Dofelt likeNot so many new and differentCopy facets that I’d previously or not been exposed Post to. 6

While Zvulun had concerns about his managerial and fundraising capabilities, he was most nervous about the potential tradeoffs the two roles might force him to face. He was a successful director precisely because of his passion for the artistic and creative aspects of opera. The Opera’s management role would need him to be strategic, analytical, team oriented, disciplined and patient. He worried, too, whether the new role would curtail his international pursuits, directing performances in opera companies around the world. How much would the Opera’s management needs tie him down in Atlanta? He added, “In my artistic direction work, the people I work with and the environment I’m exposed to is very enriching. I need to be in the rehearsal room, creating and designing.”

Organizational Transformation (2013-2017): Turnaround and Innovation

‘Tomer Zvulun?’ People asked, ‘Who is he? Short stop for the Braves?’ Atlanta is a sports town.

— Rae Weimer

Zvulun took the Atlanta Opera’s general and artistic director position with an agreement to direct three operas a year. He would maintain his outside commitments as well, typically directing three to four outside shows a year. He described his vision: “The Atlanta Opera could become a leading opera company of the 21st century by doing new works and reimagining the classics. It would mean taking old pieces and showing them in a cinematic, theatrical way. And starting to introduce new works.” “He started identifying new, big ideas right from the start,” Weimer noted. One of the first ideas was the Discoveries Series, which he persuaded one of the Opera’s board members and major donors to underwrite. The Discoveries Series would place small productions of chamber works in unusual venues across Atlanta, intending to present “new works, new ideas and fresh perspectives.”32

But in his first year, Zvulun knew he had to focus on getting the Opera back on track. This meant scheduling popular, well-known performances. In February 2014, he announced the 2014-2015 season, with perennial favorites Madame Butterfly and The Marriage of Figaro and Rigoletto anchoring the schedule. As one insider said, “We called it ‘the pasta and meatball’ season. Some might say ‘boring,’ but we had to stabilize things.” Tomer added, “They may have been well-known operas, but we explored new approaches and partnerships with them. Madame Butterfly was a co-production with world-renowned conductor Lorin Maazel. We did Rigoletto in co-production with the Boston Lyric Opera.” The 2013-14 season offered three mainstage productions, with 12 performances.

Additionally, Zvulun launched the Discoveries Series in the 2014-15 season. The Discoveries Series was conceived to showcase innovative and new productions. Zvulun said, “It was designed to expose us to different cultures, stories, and musical styles.” He added, “[It aimed] to encourage civic discussions and to bring pieces that are less mainstream to different parts of the city.”33 The productions cost a fraction of a mainstage production, and allowed the Opera to showcase new works, as well as to explore musical theatre and other innovative approaches to opera.” Weimer added, “The idea behind the Discoveries Series was that it was something different, brought into the Opera’s fold, but pushing the boundaries: ‘Was it opera? Or was it theatre?’ And that it would reach a broader audience.” In 2014 the Series featured one opera, Three Decembers, a huge success, and the first time that the Opera showcased an American opera, and was named “Best of Atlanta 2015.” Zvulun added, “The Discoveries Series lowered our financial risk while increasing our artistic risk. And it immediately set the community on notice that the Opera was doing interesting things.” The 2015-2016 season expanded to two productions. (See Exhibit 2 for descriptions of select Discoveries Series productions.) Do Not Copy or Post 7

Crafting a New Atlanta Opera

At the time, the Opera was struggling to recover from a series of poor performing seasons. “We were in real trouble,” Board Member Rob Dean said. The endowment, ticket sales and subscriptions had to provide at least 30% of the Opera’s income. Organizationally, there was a lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities (Exhibit 3 provides a 2013 organization chart). The board also needed to sort out governance issues; having the board manage the company briefly had blurred the lines between management and governance. Internally things were somewhat chaotic. “The staff was traumatized by all the upheaval,” Zvulun said. “It was very tricky,” Zvulun said. “It was very stressful.”

In October, just as he was leaving for rehearsals of Der Rosenkavalier at The Met, his head of HR told him, “We have a problem. A senior staff member is being questioned by the auditors about unauthorized use of the corporate credit card.” Zvulun and the board had to find a new CFO.

Along with the search for a new CFO, Zvulun began filling in the rest of his management team as well. He brought in Dave Paule to head marketing. Paule had been at Delta for 23 years as general manager of Delta’s Cargo marketing, customer service and ecommerce programs, and taught management classes at Georgia State University. He worked as chief marketing officer for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since retiring in 2011. “Dave was another person Tomer could disagree with, a sounding board,” said one insider. In early 2014, Zvulun brought in Paul Deckard as controller. Deckard had worked as an assistant stage manager intern on a production Zvulun directed in Cincinnati. After earning an MBA, he joined a small theatre company in Boston as finance manager. In his first weeks in Atlanta, Deckard scrapped the Opera’s enterprise resource system (ERP), put in new systems and, as he moved into a broader finance role, hired a controller. “Finances are difficult in arts organizations, especially in terms of cash versus accruals,” he noted, adding, “The role of artistic director and management director is separated in the industry for a reason. Combining them comes with a risk. Sometimes you have to be willing to give up something in favor of the business. Tomer is very focused. He won’t compromise on his vision for the Opera. He will find a way to achieve it.”

At the same time Zvulun continued to build out his arts production team as well with Arthur Fagen, long-time music director and conductor, bringing in a number of artists he knew personally from across the country. The board continued to offer strong support. Composed of 32 members, with 15 of these forming the Opera’s executive committee, (a standing committee long-term, they met with Zvulun and his senior leadership team every month). Hiring was erratic, however, and somewhat haphazard. Deckard noted, “Tomer would go to talk to someone and move them into another role. He sees potential in someone and wants the best. He doesn’t always follow norms and processes.”

Zvulun’s adjustment to the Opera’s culture (and that of Atlanta) took a bit of time. He recalled, “I felt like my vision and world was very narrow. I went to the Ballet the night before my first day. There was a very diverse and young audience. The next morning when I mentioned this to people at the Opera, it's possible I offended some people here. I would never have worried about that in rehearsals. I had the same issue going to meet donors for lunch. What you wear matters. I dress in jeans for rehearsal. Now, I had to change three times a day.”

Early on, his style and approach was erratic. Adams noted, “Tomer’s management experience was primarily in three- to four-week increments as a stage director, with a great deal of autonomy and control. This approach could sometimes feel erratic in an environment where longer-term relationships needed to develop and grow, and go through natural stages of ebb and flow.” One senior team member said, “Assembling and managing a senior team was a huge challenge. In productions, you manage someone for a set period of time. That’s very different from working with someone day-in, day-out for Dothe longer term.”Not Another added, “ManagingCopy expectations was challenging. or He hasPost high expectations.” 8

Paule coached Zvulun regularly, translating more complex management issues into concise concepts. Zvulun still felt frustrated. “I felt there was too much red tape on that side of our building,” he said.

In the summer of 2014, Rosemary Brown’s husband John, former CEO of Stryker, suggested that Zvulun enroll in an executive education program to supplement his management skills. John Brown had relied on Harvard Business School’s executive programs for many years, sending at least one or two Stryker executives every year for decades.b Zvulun was very reluctant and declined the offer at first; he had just begun to make headway in the organization, and he worried about the burden of time and absence from Atlanta the program would entail. “It had already been a grueling year of adjustment,” Zvulun recalled. “I was trying to run the organization. I was directing four shows. I was apprehensive about adding to the load. And the burden it would put on Susanna.” He added, “Susanna said, ‘If you don’t go, you’re a fool. You need to make the time to go. We’ll make it work.’” The Browns maintained a steady pressure however, and early in the year, Zvulun agreed to enroll.

That spring, one of the Discoveries Series, Soldier Songs, was not selling tickets as well as hoped, and his senior management team pushed Zvulun to cancel the production. “It’s not working, they told me,” Zvulun recalled. “But I said no. This was important to keep in the schedule.” Deckard added, “Tomer is an amazing leader from an artistic perspective. Charming, charming, charming. Early on, he was nervous on the business side of things. This is a business of egos—‘show business.’ He is autocratic. But he trusts his artistic vision. He has incredible attention to detail. He has an ability to translate concepts that he doesn’t understand—he relates them to something he does understand and can succinctly communicate.”

New Capabilities

In October 2015, Zvulun started the executive program. Being gone intermittently was stressful on both the organization and his family, but his staff and board also soon saw a difference in his approach. “He began to have a more holistic view of how the organization functions,” one board member said. “An organization that size has to be like a spider web moving together. He went from being tentative to confident in his management role. He became more direct: ‘This is what we are going to do.’” The senior team began to gel as well, and as Zvulun took stock of the situation, he recalled, “Instead of ‘OMG, I’m not sure how to do this,’ I said, ‘Guys, we can do this.’”

Zvulun’s management style continued to evolve. “He was a different person coming back from the executive education program. He was willing to admit what he’s weak on and what he doesn’t know,” Deckard said. Zvulun reshuffled his senior team, making Paule chief revenue officer, and bringing in a new head of marketing. (Exhibit 4 provides an organizational chart for 2015.) Palefsky added, “He was ‘crisper’ after the program. He had more confidence in his judgements. You saw him become a lot more thoughtful about taking on new projects, taking a more holistic approach, identifying works as the kinds of things this company should do.” Adams added, “Tomer was dutiful about bringing back to the organization and the board his learnings from the program. He was inspired by the experience.” Brown noted, “He made headway. Soon he was reminding us, ‘I’ve done everything on my grid. Now board, your turn to get your act together, fix governance.’”

By 2016, Zvulun’s and the board’s efforts were taking hold. For the 2016-2017 season, they increased the number productions to six (four mainstage, and two Discoveries Series), and the number of performances to 24. The Opera earned a 2016 International Opera Awards nomination, signaling a

b The program ran in four modules over the course of seven months, with two intense two-week modules in residence on Docampus. Not Copy or Post 9

strong international reputation. That year, Zvulun was also nominated for an Atlanta Luminary award.34 Palefsky noted, “Tomer is transforming the experience of opera in Atlanta. Folks show up at the Cobb Center—it’s date night, they’re in their tuxedos, they’re excited.”

Innovation: New Work, New Voices

In addition to his explorations with new approaches to productions, Zvulun revamped the Opera’s existing outreach and community program, the Studio Tour. The Studio Tour brought the Opera’s young artists to perform abridged operas at schools and performance centers across Georgia. Additional programming to enhance outreach included the Student Short, a fully-staged reduced version of one opera a season (performed in 35 different schools, reaching 14,000 students); OPERAbility, an opportunity to bring a teaching artist to the classroom; and the Final Dress Rehearsal ticket program which helped teachers bring their students to opera rehearsals each season for free. Zvulun said, “I focused on creating a new competency that we could leverage to improve our existing product and create new products to monetize. At the same time, it provided opportunities for our young artist performers.” He reaffirmed the Opera’s 24-Hour Project, launched in 2009, where performers teamed up to develop a five-minute opera in 24 hours. He added, “These were all ways to get into the community, beyond our formal education programs. Things like Pints and Pirates at Shakespeare’s Tavern.”

In 2016, Zvulun and his team also launched the Opera’s young artist program, The Atlanta Opera Studio, which included four singers, a stage director and pianist. The Studio program enabled Zvulun to develop his own pool of talent. Lead opera talent was very difficult to secure, and often had to be booked two to three years in advance. Having a developing pool of talent connected to the Opera gave Zvulun more flexibility both on scheduling and costs, helping the Opera stay within budget.

The Discoveries Series was proving the success of Zvulun’s idea of finding “new ways to innovate,” beyond the idea of bringing new or unusual pieces to the stage. It developed ways for the Opera to partner with new collaborators and sponsors. The 2016 season’s Maria des Buenos Aires moved opera off the main stage and into a night club, Le Maison Rouge at Paris on Ponce. The impact on ticket sales was marked. The Series was perceived to be more accessible, and sold out all performances, prompting Zvulun to add two additional performances. “We became the talk of the town,” Zvulun said, “because we moved away from the main stage to do something with the community with a different subject matter.”35 The performance was sponsored in part by the Argentinian Embassy, and spectators could learn to tango. In the spring of 2017, Mozart’s The Secret Gardener, was staged in the Botanical Gardens. “It opened the idea of opera to a much broader audience,” Zvulun said, adding, “The board ended up loving it. They had their blockbusters.” That year, the Molly Blank Fund gave a $600,000 two-year grant to support the Discoveries Series and the Studio Tour.

Strategic Planning: Setting the Scene for Success

By 2016, as the Opera continued to grow and establish itself as a player, Zvulun and the board continued to focus on stabilizing the organization’s finances, build out its talent and capabilities, and keep up with its expanding popularity and success. Underlying these expected challenges, two issues gained some traction as well. One was an ongoing debate of whether the Opera should remain separate from the Woodruff Arts Center.c “The Woodruff would love the Opera to come under their umbrella,” Weimer noted. “Some board members were common across the two. There may be some synergies.

c The Woodruff Center included The Symphony, the High Museum, the Alliance Theater and a host of educational programs; Dothe Atlanta OperaNot and the Atlanta Ballet hadCopy remained independent. or Post 10

They have robust infrastructure and their own campus with a variety of performance spaces.” Additionally, the Woodruff could expose the Opera to Atlanta’s wealthy corporate community; Weimer acknowledged, “At our current size, we can’t provide corporate sponsors with the eyes they’re looking for.” She added, “It’s not necessarily advantageous to be under their umbrella, however. They may want our endowment.”

The second issue was repertoire selection. The board wanted to be more involved in programming decisions. Adams noted:

This season we will fall short on projected revenue for ticket sales. There are possibly two reasons for this. One is our marketing function—I am not sure we have sufficient staffing depth in that area. We’re bringing in some additional help. The other is the repertoire has turned some people off. We staged four operas this year, and Tomer chose them unilaterally, which is within his purview as Artistic Director. I do believe there would be value for the board to understand realistic forecasting for ticket sales, and how to intentionally “balance” the season programming so that we serve audiences who have an appetite for newer or more obscure works, as well as producing the more traditional crowd pleasers that will draw large numbers.

Three principles came out of the strategic planning sessions: increase artistic quality; focus on audience development by increasing reach to a younger generation and a diverse and broad community; and, become more effective and efficient. The plan prioritized a number of critical elements in becoming more effective and efficient: strengthening the board to become more effective and robust; improving decision making in the senior leadership team; clarifying information flows and communications generally across the senior leadership team and the board; and, getting data, metrics and information about the company’s performance available to constituents—the senior leadership team, the board, and other decision makers—in a timely manner.

The plan clarified that the Opera would remain independent. Palefsky noted, “Being independent is important to Tomer. From the Woodruff’s perspective, there are classic back-office efficiencies to be gained. But there was an assumption that the Symphony’s orchestra would have capacity to play operas. And they didn’t. So that scalability goes away. Would the Opera raise more money under the Woodruff? That’s not clear either.” In terms of repertoire selection, the plan also created consensus around the Opera’s overall approach to programming, providing guidelines for consistency as Zvulun put each season together. Adams explained, “In terms of choosing repertoire, we have agreed on the logic of choosing some chestnuts, some American pieces by American composers, and some pieces that straddle the line between opera and musical theater.”

As the strategic plan came together, Adams focused the group on what the Opera needed to financially support the plan. Zvulun still oversaw all decisions and signed off on all expenses. This often created a bottleneck. One board member remarked, “We can’t get a draft agenda for our board meetings without him signing off. It takes about eight days.” Deckard struggled to keep Zvulun on track with processes; “I had to remind him we have to do things the way we do because of laws and regulations.” Other elements were stalled as well; the board was still waiting for a simple ballpark figure on funds raised a few months prior, at the February Opera Ball. One board member remarked, “He still needs to learn to delegate.”

Staging Growth

The company continued to grow. When the Opera was preparing for a production, the organization Donow ballooned Not to 300-350 singers, Copy orchestra members, technical or personnel Post and chorus. The 11

administration continued to be stretched, and challenges remained to build out a fully sustainable organization. In 2016, the Opera established a three-year agreement with the Atlanta Federation of Musicians, which represented the organization’s orchestra musicians.36 For the 2017-2018 season, the Atlanta Opera would perform six shows, each related to the theme of being an outsider.37

Zvulun continued to push on diverse and innovative programming as well. The strategic plan had prioritized this, but also pushed for greater involvement. Zvulun said, “The strategic plan is a contract that cements the consensus that was achieved in the strategic planning process. So when there are complaints about repertoire or strategic choices, we can go to the strategic plan to see what we agreed on.” He added, “With the board, they are protecting me too. As we move into more musical theater, there is a continued question of integrity for the Opera. These programming options bring in a broader audience, and money. But they can be out of whack for older board members tied to the classics.”

Zvulun made headway with important constituents across the city as well. The executive program helped give him the vocabulary to communicate with partners and the board. “When I talk to the mayor now, I’m able to explain opera and return on investment,” he said. “My style of management is more focused. We measure things on ROI; we talk about finances in depth.” He continued to look for ways to broaden the Opera’s reach in Atlanta and across Georgia, and to engage new audiences.

But challenges remained. In March 2016, Paule left to join a prominent Georgia nonprofit environmental defense organization.38 Zvulun continued to struggle to adapt his successful artistic management and directorial style to the management needs of the company’s day-to-day operations. Reflecting this ambivalence, at one point during his executive program, Zvulun acknowledged, “The thought crossed my mind to leave the not-for-profit world for something that would be more lucrative for me and my family. I had a baby girl now. But it was just not something I was ready to do. I love opera and musical theatre so much.”

Getting to Tier 1

By spring 2017, the Opera had 25 fulltime employees, covering finance, development and marketing, as well as a music director. Zvulun had built out a fulltime music staff, increased the company’s performances from 12 to 32, and had expanded the season’s schedule from three productions to six. The Opera’s operating budget went from $4.5 million to $7.5 million; the endowment had grown to $9 million. Zvulun said, “The goal is to get it to $25 million, which under conservative return circumstances, should kick out $1 million to operate.” The Molly Blank Fund doubled its $600,000 grant for the 2017-2018 season, which had now expanded to 32 performances (four mainstage productions, with four performances each; two Discoveries Series productions, with eight performances each). Palefsky said, “Tomer has transformed this organization’s performance quality. Being managing director requires great artistic sense and great business sense and great performance sense. It’s a bit like being an impresario.”

But tensions remained within the senior leadership team. The marketing function remained weak and ineffectual. Paule recommended bringing on board a marketing consultant with whom he had worked at CNN and the Atlanta Symphony, to help the team analyze ticket sales. “There’s been lots of senior management turn-over,” Deckard confessed; his responsibilities had expanded from tackling day-to-day issues related to the company’s finances, operations, HR and IT, to now also undertaking organizational redesign and managing the collective bargaining responsibilities. The board had expanded too, adding seven members to reach a total 40 without any significant turn-over. It was increasingly clear that the company needed a formal COO, but what was the right profile to partner Dowith Zvulun Not? Copy or Post 12

Managing performances across spaces remained an ongoing challenge, too. A dedicated space in Atlanta would reduce overhead on the management team and could push the Opera to a new level. “Most performance organizations define themselves by their performing space,” said Palefsky. “As the saying goes, ‘You want to put the hay where the cows can reach it.’” Adams added, “The Cobb is a wonderful venue for many reasons, it just has more seats than we need, and is difficult to fill.” A new space with 1,000 seats, was under construction and slated for completion in June 2018; this would bring additional flexibility to Zvulun’s repertoire selections, and would open the Opera up further to a broader, more diverse audience. He said, “The new space would be perfect for so many of our goals. We could stage a Barber of Seville for families. We could grow into seven productions. It would let us add operas that are bigger in size than Discoveries Series productions but smaller than our mainstage productions.” This would expand the Opera’s options to stage productions across three stages: mainstage performances at the Cobb Center (2,600 seats); smaller performances at the new space (1,000 seats); and, various Atlanta venues with about 200 seats, for the Discoveries Series productions. “These sell out immediately,” he said, “but it’s a lot of work for my team to manage multiple locations.”

Beyond challenges in Atlanta, some felt that Zvulun had the ability to raise the profile of the entire organization regionally, and make Atlanta a destination city. The Opera already collaborated on performances with other companies, helping defray their significant production costs; the 2017 spring Discoveries Series The Secret Gardener was co-produced by the Opera and Onsite Opera in New York; in 2016, the Opera had co-produced the mainstage production Silent Night with The Glimmer Glass Festival in New York and The Wexford Festival in Ireland. “The opera has been fundamentally an art form of old white people. These partnerships help bring in new ideas, spread our innovations to new sites, and sharing costs make our funds go that much farther.” Palefsky added, “Tomer could really crank up our local brand. But that would involve him getting more into city and local politics here in Atlanta. He may not have the stomach for it and it would take away from his directing.” Zvulun was aware his brand was increasingly being tied to the Opera’s; what were the long-term risks in that, he wondered?

Finally, his senior team acknowledged Zvulun had made great strides in his leadership and management skills. Palefsky said, “Tomer manages by convincing versus by authority. He’s firm, but not mean or angry.” “He’s getting better at trying new things,” Deckard added. “He has taken existing tools and applied them to the broader context. Innovation is a great strength of his, everyone can get behind his vision. He has the ability to walk into a room and get people excited.” But many also observed that Zvulun could often be autocratic and impatient in meetings.

Zvulun still found balancing the two roles a challenge; he noted, “There’s a different pace of change and impact on the management side. And it requires a different communication style from my persona in the rehearsal hall. I’m not sure I’ve mastered it yet.”

Zvulun and The Atlanta Opera at Crossroads

As the board and Zvulun looked ahead, they knew there was still room to improve and enhance the company’s organization and capabilities. John Brown noted, “Do you have a real goal, and does everyone ascribe to that goal? My sense is that The Atlanta Opera needs to move to the next level. Is it sustainable? Ten years in this game is a lifetime. How long do we have Tomer with us? What are you going to do to get to Tier 1?” He added, “You have to do a Ring Cycle.”

Staging a Ring Cycle in Atlanta would mean building out the Opera’s competencies. The company would need to build out a scenic shop, hire an orchestra, a chorus and a chorus master. This would Domean raising Not about $20 million overCopy five years. Other opera companies or staged RingPost Cycles with great 13

financial success; Zvulun noted, “The Ring Cycle pumps $40 million into the local economy. Seattle does this every four years. People come from 33 countries.” Fagen added, “If we were to pull this off, it would be the first Ring Cycle in the southeastern region. It’s important because it represents the most ambitious production for any opera to do. It represents the high point of what opera has produced. We have donors who could sponsor it. It would catapult us into becoming a top level opera company.” Taking this next step made an even stronger argument for finding a seasoned COO to partner with Zvulun. But reasonable questions remained. Could Zvulun partner with a strong, opinionated COO? Could he be fully committed to Atlanta?

As he contemplated his own ambitions in the international opera world, the Opera’s growing success and aspirations, Zvulun acknowledged, “There is a tension between the charge you get directing around the world, versus running performances in once place. One day you are going to have to choose between your career and the company. Now circumstances are different. I have a baby. I have a house. I have a city.” He added, “But it drives me crazy not being able to change things faster here. As director, I’m used to making things happen in three weeks. Now I have to think in terms of years.” He acknowledged, “The split between director and CEO—it’s a bit like schizophrenia.”

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This document is authorized for educator review use only by CARIN-ISABEL KNOOP, Harvard Business School until May 2020. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860 This document is authorized forThis document is authorized educator review use only by CARIN-ISABEL KNOOP, Business School until May Harvard 2020. Copying of copyright. or posting is an infringement Do Not Copy or Post 418-012 -15-

Exhibit 1 Financial Summary, 2008-2017 ($) [email protected] or 617.783.7860

Source: Company documents. Notes: * $1 million Goizueta gift and $0.5 million Wilson gift omitted from 2009 actuals for comparative purposes; * $9 million Stewart gift omitted from 2011 actuals for comparative purposes; * $750,000 Goizueta gift omitted from 2013 actuals for comparative purposes; * $1 million Keough gift omitted from 2015 actuals for comparative purposes; ^ Capex and Depreciation from 2008-2013 are not available.

418-012 Tomer Zvulun and The Atlanta Opera: At Crossroads (A)

Exhibit 2 The Discoveries Series: Select Descriptions (2014-2017)

Three Decembers, Jake Heggie; Fall 2014; performed at The Alliance Theatre

Winter Journey, Franz Schubert; Fall 2015; performed at Conant Center for the Arts, Oglethorpe University.

Soldier Songs, David T. Little; Fall 2015; performed at Georgia State University’s The Rialto Center for the Arts. The rock-infused American opera melded together stories from interviews with veterans of five wars into a narrative following the life of an American soldier from the age of six to 66. It is performed by a single baritone performer. The music drew on influences from Little’s background, including musical theatre, his high school marching band, and stints in jazz and rock bands. The Opera invited area veterans to attend for free, reaching an entirely new—and often untapped—audience, and bringing parts of the Atlanta community together in a powerful and emotional way. The performance opened on Veteran’s Day.

Maria de Buenos Aires, Astor Piazzolla; Fall 2016; performed at Le Maison Rouge at Paris on Ponce, Atlanta cabaret restaurant. Sold out; added additional performances due to demand for tickets. This seductive, sexy tango opera offers us a glimpse into the nightclubs of Buenos Aires, Argentina with Maria, the ill-fated prostitute who was “born with three crooked nails in her voice, on a day that God was drunk.” This imagery, evoking a world that is surreal, poetic and sensual, is the key to this evening. Composer Astor Piazzolla, alongside poet Horacio Ferrer, created a magical, hypnotic world that has very little to do with the ambience associated with the tango culture of Buenos Aires.

The Secret Gardener, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Spring 2017; performed at Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Sold out; added additional performances due to demand for tickets. The Opera partnered with New York-based On Site Opera to bring to life Mozart’s story of love, madness, and redemption that unfolds in the lush setting of a beautiful garden in a new site-specific co-production at the Botanical Gardens.

Source: Casewriter, adapted from company documents and Andrew Alexander, “Atlanta Opera’s ‘Soldier Songs’ captures essence of war stories,” myAJC (Atlanta Journal Constitution), October 30, 2015, http://www.myajc.com/entertainment/arts--theater/atlanta-opera-soldier-songs-captures-essence-war- stories/51PiEHhwd2osITBucyMXxH/, accessed January 2018.

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Exhibit 3 The Atlanta Opera Management Team Chart, 2013

Source: Company documents.

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Exhibit 4 The Atlanta Opera Organization Chart, 2015 [email protected] or 617.783.7860

Source: Company documents.

Tomer Zvulun and The Atlanta Opera: At Crossroads (A) 418-012

Appendix A U.S. Opera Companies, Select Information, 2017

The Metropolitan Opera The New York Metropolitan Opera (the Met)—North America’s premier opera—dominated ticket sales, comprising 21% of all tickets sold in North America. In 2016, the Met had an operating budget of nearly $300 million, used a venue with 4,000 seats, and produced 25 operas (a total of 225 performances) per year. In fiscal 2016, the Met spent $294.3 million and ran a deficit of $177,000. The Met planned to cut its budget to $280 million for the following year. In fiscal 2012, the Met’s endowment totaled $236 million. Contributions to the Met Opera were nearly $158 million in fiscal 2013. Management estimated that the Met’s top 10 donors funded nearly one-fifth of the organization’s annual budget. New productions were more expensive than “revivals,” or repeat productions, and the Met typically put on six or seven new productions each year. In spring 2014, the Met Opera’s Prince Igor had a cast of 200 and cost $3.8 million to produce; the costs of the organization’s other productions that season ranged from $1.8 million to $4.9 million.

After the Met, the five largest opera companies, representing 5.4% of opera companies in North America, accounted for half of total ticket sales, while as few as 20% of opera companies accounted for 75% of total audiences.d, Top donors were typically more excited about funding new productions than new revivals, which could make it difficult to manage the balance between funding and costs.

Tier 1 Tier 1 included top companies with budgets over $15 million in fiscal year 2015. Tier 1 operas brought in an average of $37.3 million in revenue, of which 38% was earned revenue; 33% consisted of contributed revenue, while 29% consisted of released revenue (i.e., previously restricted assets, “typically donor-directed program support.”) Tier 1 operas had an average of $36.1 million in expenses, 68% of which were personnel costs. Top companies with budgets over $15 million in fiscal year 2015 included the Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Seattle Opera, The Santa Fe Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Utah Symphony|Utah Opera. In 2015, tier 1 operas (excluding the Met) did an average of 5.9 productions (39.6 performances).

Tier 2 Tier 2 operas were defined as companies with annual budgets ranging from $3 million to $15 million and included companies such as Austin Opera, Minnesota Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Forth Worth Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Hawaii Opera Theatre. These operas did an average of 3.8 main season productions and 19.0 performances. Average revenue totaled $6.6 million, of which only 33% was earned revenue. Nearly 60% of their average expense of $6.9 million went to personnel expenses.

Tier 3 Tier 3 operas had annual budgets ranging from $1 to $3 million. With more limited resources, tier 3 operas put on an average of 2.8 main season productions (8.8 performances) in 2015. These opera companies generated an average of $1.9 million in revenue, selling just 49% of available seats, down from 65% in 2011. (Tier 1 operas, by comparison, sold 85% of available seats in 2015, relatively unchanged from 2011.) Only 22% of tier 3 opera revenue was earned in 2015, down from 32% in 2011. In 2015, tier 3 operas paid an average of $1.7 million in expenses. Approximately 53% of expenses consisted of personnel costs. Tier 3 operas, with annual budgets ranging from $1 million to $3 million, included the Chicago Opera Theatre, Des Moines Metro Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Long Beach Opera, Madison Opera, and Opera Columbus.

d In other countries, this number was higher; 32% of German opera houses accounted for 75% share of the German opera-going audience. See Agid and Tarondeau, The Management of Opera: An International Comparative Study, (Basingstoke, Hampshire; New DoYork: Palgrave Not McMillan, 2010), p. 14. Copy or Post

Tiers 4 and 5 Operas with annual budgets below $1 million brought in an average of $624,235 and spent an average of $627,993 in 2015, nearly three-quarters of which consisted of production and program costs. In 2006, one blogger estimated that small opera companies typically spent $150,000 to $300,000 for each new production. Small opera performances generally had fewer than 10 singers, as well as fewer than 10 musicians.

Source: Casewriter research; Philippe Agid and Jean-Clause Tarondeau, The Management of Opera: An International Comparative Study, (Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York: Palgrave McMillan, 2010), p. 15; Michael Cooper, “Metropolitan Opera Faces a Slide in Box-Office Revenues,” The New York Times, May 6, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/arts/music/metropolitan-opera-faces-a-slide-in-box-office-revenues.html; Michael Cooper, “The Met Opera Offers Buyouts to Its Staff as Its Season Opens,” The New York Times, September 28, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/arts/music/met-opera-buyouts.html; Fred Plotkin, “The Bottom Line on Costs at the Metropolitan Opera,” WQXR, June 4, 2014, http://www.wqxr.org/story/bottom-line-costs- metropolitan-opera/; Jennifer Maloney, “New York’s Metropolitan Opera Opens Its Budget Curtain,” The Wall Street Journal, May 30, 2014, https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-yorks-metropolitan-opera-opens-its-budget-curtain- 1401416711; Opera America, “Opera America Annual Field Report: FY15,” Winter 2016/2017, https://www.operaamerica.org/files/oadocs/financials/FY15_AFR.pdf, pp. 48-69; Karen Alenier, “The Price of New Opera,” The Steiny Road to Operadom (blog), Scene4, 2006, https://www.scene4.com/archivesqv6/sep- 2006/html/aleniersep06.html, links accessed May and October 2017.

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Endnotes

1 Welsh National Opera, “What is Opera?” http://www.wno.org.uk/what-opera-0, accessed May 2017; Herbert Weinstock and Barbara Russano Hanning, “Opera,” Encyclopaedia Britannica, last updated April 21, 2017, https://www.britannica.com/art/opera-music, accessed May 2017.

2 The Dallas Opera, “Opera 101,” http://dallasopera.org/learn/opera101/, accessed May 2017.

3 The Dallas Opera, “Opera 101.”

4 San Francisco Opera, “A Brief History of Opera,” https://sfopera.com/discover-opera/intro-to-opera/a-brief-history-of- opera/, accessed May 2017.

5 Welsh National Opera, “What is Opera?”

6 The Dallas Opera, “Opera 101.”

7 Welsh National Opera, “What is Opera?”

8 The Dallas Opera, “Opera 101.”

9 The Dallas Opera, “Opera 101.”

10 Philippe Agid and Jean-Clause Tarondeau, The Management of Opera: An International Comparative Study, (Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York: Palgrave McMillan, 2010), pp. 1, 9-10.

11 Agid and Tarondeau, The Management of Opera: An International Comparative Study.

12 Agid and Tarondeau, The Management of Opera: An International Comparative Study.

13 Agid and Tarondeau, The Management of Opera: An International Comparative Study.

14 The Metropolitan Opera, “HD Tickets,” http://www.metopera.org/Season/In-Cinemas/, accessed May 2017.

15 Agid and Tarondeau, The Management of Opera: An International Comparative Study, p. 13.

16 Agid and Tarondeau, The Management of Opera: An International Comparative Study, p. 42.

17 Agid and Tarondeau, The Management of Opera: An International Comparative Study, pp. 10-11.

18 Zachary Woolfe, “Uncertainty of Operatic Proportions,” The New York Times, August 8, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/09/arts/music/us-opera-companies-notably-in-seattle-face-money-trouble.html, accessed May 2017.

19 University of California Television, “San Diego Opera: How Many People It Takes to Make Opera Happen,” published December 2, 2011, https://www.uctv.tv/shows/San-Diego-Opera-How-Many-People-It-Takes-To-Make-Opera-Happen- 15962, accessed October 2017.

20 Karen Alenier, “The Price of New Opera,” The Steiny Road to Operadom (blog), Scene4, 2006, https://www.scene4.com/archivesqv6/sep-2006/html/aleniersep06.html, accessed October 2017.

21 The Atlanta Opera, Mission & History, http://www.atlantaopera.org/aboutus/ourhistory.aspx, accessed March 2017.

22 The Atlanta Opera, Mission & History.

23 The Atlanta Opera, Performance History (1980-2014), http://www.atlantaopera.org/media/pdf/Perform_History_WEB.pdf, accessed March 2017.

24 The Atlanta Opera, Mission & History.

25 The Atlanta Opera, Mission & History. 26 Do The Atlanta NotOpera, Performance History Copy (1980-2014). or Post

27 James L. Paulk, “Analysis: Does Atlanta Opera leader’s surprise departure herald step backward into the past?” ArtsATL, August 20, 2012, http://www.artsatl.com/analysis-hanthorn%E2%80%99s-unexpected-resignation-leaves-atlanta-opera- crossroads/, accessed March 2017.

28 James L. Paulk, “Analysis: Does Atlanta Opera leader’s surprise departure herald step backward into the past?”

29 Noel Morris, “Changing of the Guard: Q&A with the Atlanta Opera’s Tomer Zvulun and the need for innovation in a modern world,” ArtsATL, April 19, 2016, http://www.artsatl.com/changing-guard-qa-tomer-zvulun/, accessed March 2017.

30 Morris, “Changing of the Guard: Q&A with the Atlanta Opera’s Tomer Zvulun and the need for innovation in a modern world.”

31 Mark Gresham, “Q&A: Tomer Zvulun discusses Atlanta Opera’s new directions for 2017-2018,” ArtsATL, http://www.artsatl.com/qa-tomer-zvulun-discusses-atlanta-operas-directions-2017-18-season/, accessed March 2017.

32 The Atlanta Opera, “Discoveries,” http://www.atlantaopera.org/discoveries.aspx, accessed March 2017.

33 Collin Kelley, Martha Nodar, “Atlanta Opera, Rialto honor veterans with ‘Soldier Songs,’” Atlanta In Town, November 2, 2015, http://atlantaintownpaper.com/2015/11/atlanta-opera-rialto-honor-veterans-with-soldier-songs/, accessed January 2018.

34 The Atlanta Opera, “Tomer Zvulun: General & Artistic Director,” http://www.atlantaopera.org/tomerbio.aspx, accessed March 2017.

35 David Salazar, “Double Duty—Tomer Zvulun On Directing & Managing At Atlanta Opera,” operawire.com, August 12, 2017, http://operawire.com/double-duty-tomer-zvulun-on-directing-managing-at-atlanta-opera/, accessed October 2017.

36 Scott Freeman, “Breaking news: The Atlanta Opera reaches three-year labor agreement with its orchestra,” ArtsATL, November 3, 2016, http://www.artsatl.com/breaking-news-atlanta-opera-reaches-three-year-labor-agreement-orchestra/, accessed March 2017.

37 Mark Gresham, “Q&A: Tomer Zvulun discusses Atlanta Opera’s new directions for 2017-2018.”

38 Dave Williams, “Greenlaw hires David Paule as executive director,” Atlanta Business Chronicle, May 16, 2016, https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2016/05/16/greenlaw-hires-new-executive-director.html, accessed January 2018.

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