OSA 2021/22 Annual Donor Report

FRIENDS OF OPERA

Photo by Marty Sohl Santiago Ballerini as The Duke in Rigoletto

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

OUR MISSION

OPERA San Antonio’s mission is to produce opera of uncompromising artistic quality and to enrich our community through educational outreach and social engagement. The company is committed to preserving and sharing opera as an art form that is relevant, inspirational, and accessible to residents and visitors of all ages and backgrounds. The civic premise of OPERA San Antonio is that the community needs, and the citizens deserve, access to the major performing arts.

Office ManagerANGELICA OCHOA

Friends Program & Education Coordinator

MADELINE ELIZONDO

General & Artistic Director

E LOREN MEEKER

Music Director FRANCESCO MILIOTO Artistic AdvisorGARNETT BRUCE

Professionals committed to spreading the joy of opera to San Antonio and its surrounding areas.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Treasurer Vice Chairman Secretary MARK JOHNSON MATT WEST VALERIE COLLINS

Founder MEL WEINGART

"OPERA San Antonio is reintroducing this great art to our city. We believe that San Antonio deserves great opera as a civic resource for all our citizens.”

Chairman BLAIR LABATT

ADRIANA CISNEROS

DIANA PEÑA

OLGA 4

JAMES MCCUTCHEON

DR. SARA MCCAMISH CHAN PETERSON LINDA POETSCHKE

DR ALAN SIQUEIROS DALE TREMBLAY

DON GIOVANNI: A MOZART DEBUT

OPERA San Antonio opened the 2021/22 season on October 7 and 9, 2021 with an action packed, 90 minute version of Don Giovanni, our first ever presentation of an opera by Mozart. The opening night performance was immediately followed by our first ever Gala, From Seville to San Antonio which was received with great enthusiasm and success. Maestro Robert Tweten returned to OSA to conduct

20 SCHOOLS 723 STUDENTS

This cast brought local and national talent to the stage including a stage debut by OSA’s very own Apprentice Artist Kresley Figueroa in the role of Zerlina OSA Artistic Advisor Garnett Bruce directed this production featuring projections co designed by S Katy Tucker, who debuted her work at OSA with Lucia di Lammermoor, and Blake Manns We were also pleased to partner with the United States Institute for Theatre Technology to pilot the BIPOC Designers Fellowship Funded through a generous gift from Walt Disney Parks Live Entertainment, OPERA San Antonio and USITT were happy to have Toni Sterling as Assistant Lighting Designer on this production.

“You have made a fan out of me. I can’t believe it took 45 years to get me into a theater for an opera. It is an honor to be able to work with you to develop this passion with our kids.”

J A S O N D O U G H T Y H E A D M A S T E R

“From the very beginning of the opera, I was fully engaged. I was surprised at how different it was from broadway plays, but I liked it more because of this.”

L I L L I E R I C H T E R , S T U D E N T

Photo by Karen Almond

Photo by Karen Almond

Photo by Karen Almond

Craig Verm as Don Giovanni and Karin Wolverton as Donna Elvira

Kresley Figueroa as Zerlina and Mark Diamond as Masetto

Michael Sumuel as Leporello.

RIGOLETTO: A RETURN TO GRAND OPERA

The season concluded with Verdi’s masterpiece Rigoletto on May 6 and 8, 2022 with a production that catapulted OSA back into full scale opera complete with orchestra and chorus as well as gorgeous sets and costumes.

OSA Music Director Maestro Francesco Milioto returned to OSA to conduct an amazing cast featuring acclaimed Metropolitan Opera star Andriana Chuchman as Gilda and James Westman in the title role. The production highlighted local talent as well in numerous supporting roles including Maeli Mesilemit in a role debut as Giovanna. OSA General & Artistic Director E. Loren Meeker directed this co production from Boston Lyric Opera, The Atlanta Opera, and Opera Omaha originated by Tomer Tzvuln featuring sets by John Conklin, costumes by Victoria Tzykun, and lighting by Robert Wierzel

“Wow so much better than imagined! Very captivating, incredible talent and I didn’t want to stop watching it.” D

Photo by Marty Sohl

Photo by Marty Sohl

Churchill High School at OSA's production of Rigoletto

Harlandale High School students backstage with Reginald Smith, Jr

Reginald Smith, Jr. as Monterone and Bill McMurray as Marullo.

James Westman as Rigoletto and Andriana Chuchman as Gilda

OPERA EN ESPAÑOL

CHARLAS MUSICALES

During the pandemic, OSA actively produced virtual content for the 2020/21 season to provide joy and a musical escape. In November 2020, a special Spanish language program called “Charlas Musicales” was launched with host Cecilia Duarte to help share the important work Hispanic artists are doing for the opera industry Her first two guests were hometown favorite Rafael Moras and Austin based mezzo soprano Claudia Chapa This important series continued last season with 3 more episodes livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube Since its creation, this series has now featured 8 artists with 3,993 combined views

3,993 UNIQUE VIEWERS 8 GUEST ARTISTS 8 STREAMING PRODUCTIONS

If you missed one of our sessions, no problem! All recordings are available to stream at any time through our website OperaSA.org by clicking the “Opera Now” tab.

OPERA WORKSHOPS

Last season, OPERA San Antonio, the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico San Antonio, and the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts teamed up to conduct two Spanish language opera appreciation workshops, taught by renowned opera critic Gerardo Kleinburg Each workshop consisted of three sessions which culminated in the attendance of an OSA production at the Tobin Center

OPERA IN THE COMMUNITY

OPERA San Antonio is dedicated to expanding our reach in San Antonio through access to free community concerts and enhanced outreach in local schools.

Our Tobin Center productions were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the impact OSA made last season. Additional highlights included a multitude of programs offering a little something for everyone in a season designed to celebrate the return to live performing arts in our community.

Holiday Holiday Holiday

P O P - U P S P O P - U P S P O P - U P S

HOLIDAY POP UPS: A NEW OSA TRADITION

On Tuesday, November 30, 2021 a day commonly referred to as “Giving Tuesday”, OSA took to the road to offer four Holiday Pop Up performances across the city. Rather than solicit donations on this international day of giving, we decided to give back to the community by spreading some holiday cheer through traditional carols sprinkled with opera classics.

PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS

OSA cares deeply about our Veterans On March 6, 2022, we worked with Dr Fidel Exconde at the Blue Skies Air Force Retirement Village of San Antonio to facilitate a long awaited return of live concert programs for their residents We were also proud to reinstate our free ticket program for Veterans offering a total of 200 free seats to our productions of Don Giovanni and Rigoletto through our renewed collaboration with Vet Tix.

OSA artists caroling at Methodist Hospital

"A big Thank you to Opera San Antonio and Vet Tix for the tickets to the opera. We absolutely all fell in love with the opera and can’t wait to attend another one in the future. The singers and costumes were excellent. Thank you again!!"

K A R E N , U N I T E D S T A T E S A R M Y A T T E N D E D D O N G I O V A N N I

OSA artists Andres Losada and Mark Alexander performing at Blue Skies

OPERA IN THE COMMUNITY

OSA ON THE RIVER 2022

Through generous sponsorship by Labatt Foods, OSA was featured once again during Fiesta on our very own riverbarge as a part of the 2022 Texas Cavaliers River Parade 6 artists including OSA’s 2021 Apprentice Artists lifted their voices dressed to the nines in celebration of this wonderful city.

12 FREE COMMUNITY CONCERTS 1,119 TOTAL ATTENDEES

COMMUNITY CONCERTS

Throughout the month of June 2022, OSA presented a total of 12, free community concerts which were attended by 1,119 people. These included a series of five family friendly programs in partnership with the San Antonio bl b b d d “ l f d !” y

NEW PARTNERSHIPS

Other free events offered to the community of San Antonio included a public Masterclass with mezzo soprano Jill Grove at the University of the Incarnate Word, our first collaboration with the Main Plaza to offer “OPERA under the Stars", and our first partnership with Musical Bridges Around the World to present a concert at Brookdale Senior Living as a part of their "Golden Age Concert" series

OSA Apprentice Artists Tiffany Collazo at Johnston Library and Jinni

Shen with Andres Losada in performance at Brook Hollow Library

Photo credit: MBAW Robert S. Michaelson

OSA Apprentice Artist Andres Losada performing in Main Plaza, Tiffany Collazo in Masterclass with Jill Grove, and Alexander Montalvo performing for residents at Brookdale Senior Living

SOUTH TEXAS TOUR

SOUTH TEXAS TOUR

In the summer of 2022, for the first time in OSA history, we hit the road to expand our reach to our neighbors in Laredo and Uvalde in a two day outreach tour we now lovingly call the South Texas Tour. OSA Apprentice Artists performed a breathtaking concert in the Laredo San Agustin Cathedral followed by a children’s program for the Boys and Girls Club of Laredo the next morning. On our way home, we made a stop in Uvalde to help lift the spirits of the community with a program at the El Progreso Memorial Library of Uvalde.

OSA Apprentice Artists with OSA Education Coordinator Madeline Elizondo leading the Boys and Girls Club of Laredo in a "Wiggle Break "

OSA Apprentice Artists Jinni Shen and Tiffany Collazo in performance at El Progreso Memorial Library of Uvlade

OSA Apprentice Artists receiving a standing ovation at the conclusion of their concert in the Laredo San Agustin Cathedral

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

81 TOTAL SCHOOLS 7,444 TOTAL STUDENTS 10 CITY DISTRICTS

Through the generous support from our sponsors, OSA continues to share the excitement of opera and joy of storytelling with access to free outreach in schools and training programs for young, emerging local artists. Our mission is to increase community knowledge and appreciation of opera as the only performing art which is a grand synthesis of story, character, drama, and visual art in the form of sets and costumes, symphonic music, and the wonder of the highly trained human voice.

OPERA IN SCHOOLS

OSA's "OPERA in Schools" provides 20 50 minute presentations free to any area K 12 school with access to free online videos and resources Online resources for teachers include the use of our award winning five part video series “Explore Opera for Kids!” with accompanying Google worksheets

Totals from the 2021/22 season were record breaking with 35 chools w eries An ts and te

The program culminates in the opportunity for students to experience opera live at the Tobin Center. Schools able to attend a performance at the Tobin also have the option to participate in a pre show engagement with the cast offering a special glimpse behind the scenes.

“Almost all were completely entranced

the performance.

favorite moment came from a kindergarten student who told me he had never heard opera before, but now it was all he wanted to listen to.”

OSA Outreach Artist Bronwyn White with students after "OPERA in Schools" performance for K 5th grade

Great Hearts Monte Vista students behind the scenes at Don Giovanni with Stage Director Garnett Bruce and OSA General & Artistic Director E. Loren Meeker.

throughout

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SAMANTHA JUAREZ GREAT HEARTS MONTE VISTA

OSA Outreach Artists Bronwyn White and William Chapman at Bradley MS

Scan to view full 2021 22 Education Report.

TEEN OPERA CLUB OF TEXAS

OPERA San Antonio is excited to be a partner in the Teen Opera Club of Texas (TOCT) as an extension of the Texas Opera Alliance (TOA) The mission of the club is to make a lasting impact on our next generation by igniting a passion and enthusiasm for opera

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Through this club, last season students aged 13 19 were able to gather with like minded teens during four virtual meetings via Zoom to explore music and art making with industry professionals and leaders from the TOA companies. Members local to Austin and San Antonio were offered free tickets to OSA performances of Don Giovanni and Rigoletto and Austin Opera's production of Marriage of Figaro.

APPRENTICE ARTIST PROGRAM

OSA’s Apprentice Artist program was established in the summer of 2020 to engage emerging artists in a summer training program offering insight into the industry and valuable performance experience

Through your generosity, and the support of the Opera Guild of San Antonio, in June of 2022 we were able to offer Margaret King Stanley Vocal Scholarships to four young singers who performed a series of 12 community concerts in partnership with the San Antonio Public Library, the University of the Incarnate Word, the Main Plaza, and Musical Bridges Around the World

OPERA BY THE RIVER

Opera by the River is a week long summer camp for high school students hosted by opera staff at Texas State University School of Music. OPERA San Antonio has been a proud partner in this endeavor since the summer of 2021 and was thrilled to meet students for the first time in person during masterclasses hosted by OSA Artistic Advisor Garnett Bruce, OSA Board Member Linda Poetschke, and OSA General & Artistic Director E Loren Meeker in July of 2022

OSA Artistic Advisor Garnett Bruce with students after a Masterclass session at the Texas State Opera by the River Camp

Local TOCT Members at Austin Opera's production of Marriage of Figaro with Education Coordinators Debra Erck and Madeline Elizondo

FRIENDS PROGRAM

being a donor has its benefits

COCKTAILS & CONVERSATION” LIVE

Amidst the pandemic, we had a blast connecting with fellow opera lovers during special weekly Zoom gatherings created just for OSA donors which we lovingly branded as “Cocktails & Conversation ” Leading up to our production of Rigoletto, patrons had the opportunity to connect with OSA leadership and staff as they lent their experience and insight into the opera in our first live edition of the series.

Maestro Francesco Milioto conversing with donors at OSA's first "Cocktails & Conversation" live in the Tobin Firehouse Lounge

2021/22 SEASON DONORS

UNDERWRITER

($25,000 and above)

Bexar County Commissioners Court

City of San Antonio

Elizabeth Huth Coates Foundation of 1992

Drs James E Griffin III and Margo Denke

Kronkosky Charitable Foundation

Labatt Food Service

The Labatt Foundation

The Martha Ellen Tye Foundation

Russell Hill Rogers Fund for the Arts

The Tobin Endowment

Kittie West

SPONSOR

($10,000 to $24,999)

Anonymous

Nel & Walter Belt & Barbara Wood C H Guenther & Son

Valerie Collins

The Ewing Halsell Foundation

Frost Bank Charitable Foundation H E B

Juris Medicus, LLC

Greg & Bekki Kowalski

McCamish/ Briggs/ Worth & Associates

John L Nau, III

Semmes Foundation, Inc

Dr Alan Siqueiros

Texas Capital Bank Texas Commission on the Arts

GRAND BENEFACTOR

($5,000 to $7,499)

Milton Babbitt

Dr Kenneth Bloom & Dr Sheila Swartzman

Richard and Peggy Calvert

Sam and Laura Dawson Family Foundation

Reagan & Patricia Houston

Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Lende

In honor of Blair Labatt

Katherine Moore McAllen James E. McCutcheon

GRAND BENEFACTOR, CONT

($5,000 to $7,499)

Tim and Kathy Musgrave

Phil Muth

Pape Dawson Engineers Toby and John Tate Matt West, FASTSIGNS

PRINCIPAL BENEFACTOR

($2,500 to $4,999)

Blue Skies of Texas Diana and Mario Peña, Able City Donna Barrow

In memory of Sue Storm Bruce & Anne Johnson Mark and Carolyn Johnson Opera Guild of San Antonio

Duncan Elliott Osborne

In honor of Blair Labatt Eduardo and Elsi Parra Corinna Holt Richter

Sterling Foods TEAM Group, Ltd Dale & Sandra Tremblay Alice and Sergio Viroslav

BENEFACTOR

($1,000 to $2,499)

Marlena M. and Omar G. Alvarez AnArte Gallery & Studio A. John and Belinda F. Andersen

Margaret Corning Boldrick

Tony & Carla Canty

Costa Solutions LLC

Mary Jane Ely

Jim and Frances Garner Toni and Richard Goldsmith Dan and Marcia Goodgame

In honor of Blair and Barbara Labatt

The John Newman Family Charitable Fund Ronald C Keller Malin USA

received July 1, 2021 June 30, 2022) * indicates monthly donor

BENEFACTOR, CONT

($1,000 to $2,499)

Mary L Marino

Taddy McAllister

Dr Sara McCamish and Dr Edward Briggs

Kathleen and David Meriwether

Cynthia O'Connor

Chan Peterson & Becky McEuen

Carolyn A. Seale and Carol Lee Klose

In memory of Dolores L. Klose

Ronald Seeliger

Polly and George Spencer

In honor of Blair and Barbara Labatt Donna & Ian Thompson Kathleen Weir Vale

Mr & Mrs Curtis T Vaughan, III Charles & Heide Walker

Graham Weston Marshall and Elizabeth White

In honor of Bronwyn White The Williamson Foundation

CONTRIBUTOR

($500 to $999)

Suhail H Arastu

Christopher V Bacon

Robin Brey

Drs Jayne & David Gordon

Sharon M Kocurek

Lillian P. Morris

*Heidi Munzinger and John Shott

In honor of E. Loren Meeker and Ryan McKinny Pat and Keith Orme

In memory of Leticia Rogers

Edward and Linda Poetschke

Rabbi Samuel and Lynn Stahl H. Anthony Troche

Brig. Gen. Sue E.Turner

SUPPORTER

($250 to $499)

Greg Brown

Timothy and Marisa Caffrey

Antonio J. Cantafio

*Paul and Anne Comeaux

The Board of Directors, artists, and staff of OPERA San Antonio gratefully acknowledge the generous support from our donors. (Donations

2020/21 SEASON DONORS

SUPPORTER, CONT

($250 to $499)

Anna Falkenberg

Michael Gehret

In honor of Blair Labatt

The Jessee Family

In honor of Madeline Elizondo

Martin and Frederica Kushner

Grace B Labatt

In honor of the Blair Labatt Family

Virginia D McGhee

*Andrea Melcher

In honor of Caroline Melcher

Marc and Gail Raney

*Kevin and Laura Salfen

Nancy Taylor Shivers

FRIEND

($100 to $249)

Harry Akin

*Anonymous ApexMed

Bob and Mardi Baron

Marc and Linda Beaudoin

In memory of (Nina) Sue Storm

Richard Butler

Mr and Mrs Anthony D Call

Maura Conron

Karlos and Madeline Elizondo Dr. Brian Garcia

Brian Gill

In memory of Bruce & Carmen Gill

Raul Amador Gomez

John Greiner

James W Kirkpatrick

Robert Knapp

Dr and Mrs Gregory Lind

Gary Malanchuk

Joe Manci, COL USAF (RET)

In memory of Col.Yale "Buzz" Trustin

Barbara Marcks

Shaun and Emily McChesney

In memory of Thomas McChesney

($100 to $249)

Tony McCormick

Roger and Suzanne Meeker

Wylan and Kelly Peterson Dottie Randall

Dr John Sanchez

In honor of E. Loren Meeker & Madeline Elizondo

Fran Revelle Stelzriede

Dorothy Stempin

William R. Sutton

Richard Watts Daniel Ellis Wigodsky *Michael Wurth

FRIEND, CONT SUSTAINER

(up to $99)

Mike Almendarez

*Jorge Alonzo

Nancy Fix Anderson Marie Barrett

Matthew Charles Brockway

Rebekah Bulen

Lisette Chavez

Adriana Danysh Renee Davis Ruth Frederick Gary Hoeffler

Stephanie Key and David Mollenauer

Michael Kennick

Anna Lopez

Megan MacMillan

In memory of Margaret "Josie" Krueger Dr. David Maize

Julio N. Manso

Sandy & Art Nicholson

Terry O'Connor

SUSTAINER, CONT

(up to $99)

Kevin Pardinas

Linda Pearson

Virginia Peche

In honor of Timothy Jones

Linda Seeligson

Judith Sobré

David Allen Solis

Jeffery Steffen

Kathleen Takamine Amy Updegrove

In memory of Sue Storm Alison and Rene Vasquez, Jr. Robert Walsh Wendie Wolfe

Great Hearts Monte Vista High School Students Behind the Scenes at Don Giovanni