ESTHER NELSON, STANFORD CALDERWOOD GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | DAVID ANGUS, MUSIC DIRECTOR | JOHN CONKLIN, ARTISTIC ADVISOR THE MISSION OF BOSTON LYRIC OPERA IS TO BUILD CURIOSITY, ENTHUSIASM AND SUPPORT FOR OPERA BY CREATING MUSICALLY AND THEATRICALLY COMPELLING PRODUCTIONS, EVENTS, AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR THE BOSTON COMMUNITY AND BEYOND. B | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA OVERVIEW: ANNUAL REPORT 2017 WELCOME Dear Patrons, Art is often inspired by the idea of a journey. Boston Lyric Opera’s 40TH Anniversary Season was a journey from Season opener to Season closer, with surprising and enlightening stories along the way, lessons learned, and strengths found. Together with you, we embraced the unexpected, and our organization was left stronger as a result. Our first year of producing works in multiple theaters was thrilling and eye-opening. REPORT Operas were staged in several of Boston’s best houses and uniformly received blockbuster reviews. We made an asset of being nimble, seizing upon the opportunity CONTENTS of our Anniversary Season to create and celebrate opera across our community. Best of all, our journey brought us closer than ever to our audiences. Welcome 1 It’s no coincidence that the 2016/17 Season opened with Calixto Bieito’s renowned 2016/17 Season: By the Numbers 2 staging of Carmen, in co-production with San Francisco Opera. The strong-willed gypsy Leadership & Staff 3 woman and the itinerant community she adopted was a perfect metaphor for our first production on the road. Bringing opera back to the Boston Opera House was an iconic 40TH Anniversary Kickoff 4 moment. Not only did Carmen become the Company’s biggest-selling show ever, it also Carmen 6 ignited a buzz around the community that drew a younger, more diverse audience. That response continued throughout the Season: BLO exceeded its single ticket sales goals Greek 8 by more than 32%; we added 4,000 households to our community of patrons; and our The Rake’s Progress 10 average percentage of theater seats sold was 87%. Audiences were more engaged than The Marriage of Figaro 12 ever with our productions, a direct result of being able to sell our tickets in-house, allowing for improved communication and personalized customer experiences. Financial Summary 14 Our 40TH year also underscored the strength of the entire opera community in Boston. Community Engagement We started with 40 Days of Opera—nearly six weeks of news and highlights, concerts, & Education 16 and other opera fun. With the collective strength of more than 15 companies through Audiences of Tomorrow 20 the newly formed Boston Opera Alliance, we launched BostonOperaCalendar.com, which consolidated the full range of productions in this amazing music town. Emerging Artists 22 While our season moved at a rapid clip, our work to identify a suitable permanent home BLO New Works 23 kept pace on a parallel course. I continue to spend time with some of the most inspired BLO Orchestra, Chorus, leaders in the performing arts and opera industries, as well as visionary members of our Volunteers & Acknowledgments 24 community. I am certain we are on the right path to identifying a long-term home for Boston Lyric Opera, as part of a thriving arts community in a city aiming for its own Donors 26 vibrant and innovative future. 40 Years of BLO: A Timeline 28 BLO ended the 40TH Season with one of its best financial years ever: a significant increase in single ticket sales; an operating surplus for the seventh consecutive year; a growing endowment; and the enthusiasm and support of committed donors who encourage us to continue forging the path of an opera company for the future. At 40 years old, BLO is the longest-running opera company in Boston history. Four decades seems like a long time, but it’s noteworthy that compared to our prestigious peers in this city, BLO is barely in its young adulthood. I’m inspired by so many others who have survived their own journeys, confirming that the path we face ahead is one worth taking. We are indebted to our generous Board, all of our patrons and volunteers, our talented artists, and the entire opera community. Onward! Cover wrap and inside front cover: Esther Nelson BLO’s production of Carmen by Stanford Calderwood General & Artistic Director Liza Voll Photography 2016/17 SEASON: BY THE NUMBERS • 12 career advancements of rising professionals through its annual class of BLO Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artists • 15 inaugural member companies of the newly formed Boston Opera Alliance • 40 continuous days of opera programming across Boston through 40 Days of Opera • 160 free tickets to Carmen given to Boston area students • 77 hosted events and programs • 350 employment opportunities for artists and theater professionals • 1,700 free Final Dress Rehearsal tickets given to high school and college students • 3,906 new households added to database PHOTOGRAPHY LIZA VOLL • 8,650 engaged audience members through BLO community programs— 90% of which were free • 19,126 tickets sold in the 2016/17 Season Audiences gather in front of the Boston Opera House for BLO’s production of Carmen. 2 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA OVERVIEW: ANNUAL REPORT 2017 THE LEADERS OF BOSTON LYRIC OPERA “ The history of BLO’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON BOARD opera in Boston is rich and varied BOARD OF Amelia Welt Katzen BOARD OF Russell Lopez and I am grateful DIRECTORS Maria J. Krokidas OVERSEERS Anita Loscalzo Jeffrey E. Marshall to be part of the CHAIR CO-CHAIRS M. Lynne Markus Abigail B. Mason City’s longest Michael J. Puzo L. Joseph LoDato Jillian McGrath A. Neil Pappalardo Samuel Y. Parkinson Jane Pisciottoli Papa running and VICE-CHAIR & E. Lee Perry Lawrence St. Clair Barbara Goodwin Papesch largest opera company. Opera is a TREASURER Irving H. Plotkin Susanne Potts vibrant art form and, along with the Wayne Davis William Pounds James Ackerman Carl Rosenberg many opera producers in this area, our CLERK Rusty Rolland‡ Sarah E. Ashby Allison K. Ryder David W. Scudder BLO team is committed to keeping Susan W. Jacobs Kimberly E. Balfour Alex Senchak Susan R. Shapiro Elizabeth Barker Wendy Shattuck STANFORD opera a resonant force in the cultural David Shukis Edward Bell Frank Tempesta CALDERWOOD Ray Stata Richard M. Burnes, Jr. scene for the next 4O years.” GENERAL & ARTISTIC Richard Trant Wynne W. Szeto Ellen Cabot DIRECTOR Robert Walsh ESTHER NELSON Christopher Tadgell Carol Gram Deane Esther Nelson, Ex Officio Lydia Kenton Walsh Stanford Calderwood Lady Juliet Tadgell Amos Deinard Peter J. Wender General & Artistic Director, since 2008 Linda Cabot Black Frank Wisneski Nicholas J. DiMauro Bertram Zarins Willa Bodman Jessica Donohue Tania Zouikin Miguel de Bragança Catherine Dunn “ What particularly Alicia Cooney Joseph Glenmullen EMERITI sets BLO apart for Alan Dynner Catherine E. Grein Steven P. Akin me is the energy Susan D. Eastman‡ Amy Hunter J.P. Barger and commitment Andrew L. Eisenberg, Esq. William A. Hunter Sherif A. Nada Thomas D. Gill, Jr. Louise Johnson of our chorus, our Barbara Winter Glauber Ellen Kaplan orchestra and Mimi Hewlett Stephen T. Kunian our Emerging Horace H. Irvine II ‡ Deceased Pamela S. Kunkemueller As of May 2017 Artists. It gives me huge pleasure to lead such a team in performances. The thing that makes opera great for me is BLO’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON STAFF the perfect balance between musical and dramatic values, and BLO, more Esther Nelson Stanford Calderwood General EXTERNAL RELATIONS than any other company that I know, & Artistic Director Eileen Nugent Williston Director of External Relations David Angus Music Director Sarah B. Blume Director of Major Gifts takes both sides equally seriously. I am John Conklin Artistic Advisor very proud to be part of this totally Erin Coffey Associate Director of Major Gifts Cathy Emmons Director of Institutional Gifts committed team.” ARTISTIC Nicholas G. Russell Director of Artistic Operations Robin Whitney Development and Outreach Manager DAVID ANGUS Steven Atwater Artistic Manager Narcissa McArthur Development Coordinator Music Director, since 2010 Zachary Calhoun Artistic Coordinator Amy Holland Crafton Senior Marketing Strategist Jeila Irdmusa Communications Manager PRODUCTION Goodman Media International, Inc. Public Relations “ It is a rare privilege Anna B. Labykina Production & Technical Director to be part of a Jessica Johnson Brock Production Operations Manager Julia Propp Director of Operations, External Relations Katherine Clanton Production Coordinator Andrew J. Moreau Operations Manager & family (artists and Alix Strasnick Associate Technical Director System Administrator administrators and Julia Noulin-Mérat Associate Producer Robin Schweikart Database Administrator audiences) that is Rebecca Kittredge Audience Services Manager FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION pledged to both Bailey Kerr Patron Services Associate Karen T. Frost Director of Finance and Administration Morgan McKendry Audience Services Associate the hard work David J. Cullen Accounting Manager Lacey Upton Director of Community Engagement and the joy that comes with the Reingard Heller Finance Manager Caitlin Hayes Finance & Office Coordinator Rebecca Kirk Manager of Education Programs creation of an experience in the theater Sara O’Brien Events Coordinator that is at once enlightening, inspiring Brendan Buckley Resident Teaching Artist and entertaining.” Heather Gallagher Resident Teaching Artist IRN Internet Services Website JOHN CONKLIN Leapfrog Arts Graphic Design Artistic Advisor, since 2009 BOSTON LYRIC OPERA OVERVIEW: ANNUAL REPORT 2017 | 3 In honor of Boston Lyric Opera’s 4OTH Anniversary, the Company kicked off the Season with a community-wide celebration of the art form, titled 4O Days of Opera. THINK 4O Days of Opera featured opera-themed activities across the city—from performances to film screenings, lectures, walking tours, parties, online articles, one-of- BOSTON a-kind videos and more! The initiative culminated in the launch of Boston Opera Calendar, an online listing of opera performances in the greater Boston area curated by the Boston Opera Alliance, a community-driven consortium of Boston- ISN’T AN area opera organizations and producers.