Grants & Awards

Blue at The Glimmerglass Festival (photo: Karli Cadel)

Programs

Services

Grants & Awards

Over the past five decades, OPERA America has awarded $20 million to opera companies and artists across North America.

Our strategic philanthropy, made possible through OPERA America’s Opera Fund endowment and in partnership with committed foundations, supports new work development, audience building, civic practice, co-productions, and field-wide innovation at our Professional Company Members.

Our awards to individuals advance the careers of women and people of color in creative roles, highlight emerging artists, and recognize the leadership of exceptional trustees.

For Opera Companies

Awards for Digital Excellence in Opera

The Awards recognize the best work created for digital platforms and encourage further investment in this vibrant aspect of opera production.

Civic Practice Grants

Supporting company efforts to learn more about civic priorities and development with organizations within their communities.

Marineau Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors

Marineau Stage Director and Conductor Grants support companies in hiring women to key artistic leadership roles.

National Opera Trustee Recognition Awards

Awarded to Professional Company Member trustees for their exemplary leadership and service.

New Works Exploration Grants for Works by Women

Provides travel subsidies for staff to travel to other cities to attend performances or workshops of new American operas by women composers.

New Works Showcase

The New Works Showcase is a presentation of new works at the annual New Works Forum.

Next Stage Grants

Support for presenting the second or subsequent production of existing, under-performed North American works.

NYC Opera Grants: Support for Small-Budget Organizations

The Awards recognize the best work created for digital platforms and encourage further investment in this vibrant aspect of opera production.

Opera Grants for Women Composers: Commissioning Grants

Supports the development of new operas by women, advancing the important objective of increasing diversity across the field.

Opera RESPECTS Training Awards

Supporting anti-harassment and respectful workplace training at opera companies

Repertoire Development Grants

Assists Professional Company Members and their partners in the development and production of new North American works.

For Artists

Awards for Digital Excellence in Opera

The Awards recognize the best work created for digital platforms and encourage further investment in this vibrant aspect of opera production.

Campbell Opera Librettist Prize

The Campbell Opera Librettist Prize is awarded annually to an American librettist who has exceptional talent for writing opera librettos.

IDEA Opera Grants

Support BIPOC composers and librettists in the development of new operatic works and the advancement of their careers in the opera industry.

New Works Showcase

The New Works Showcase is a presentation of new works at the annual New Works Forum.

Opera Grants for Women Composers: Discovery Grants

Supports the development of new operas by women directly to individual composers who identify as women, increasing diversity across the field.

Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize

The prize recognizes promising stage directors and designers for their ingenuity in bringing operatic works to life for contemporary audiences.

Other Awards

Awards for Digital Excellence in Opera

The Awards recognize the best work created for digital platforms and encourage further investment in this vibrant aspect of opera production.

Opera Hall of Fame

Recognizing the achievements of Americans and Canadians who have strengthened the art form and the field.

For more information about OPERA America’s grants and awards, contact us at Grants@operaamerica.org.

Former Grant Programs

Audience Development Grants

Offered from 2002 to 2017, helped PCMs and their partners develop relationships with audiences of new or infrequently performed American operas.

Building Opera Audiences Grants

Offered from 2013 to 2016, supported PCMs with new and existing programs for new audiences, patron loyalty, and more attendance at the opera.

Co-Production Loan Fund

Offered from 2018 to 2022, provided no-interest, no-fee loans to PCMs to ease co-production partnerships of American operas with other companies.

IDEA Opera Residencies

IDEA Opera Residencies welcomed NYC composers and librettists of color with grants, residencies, mentorship, and career support.

Innovation Grants

Supported PCMs in implementing projects in opera’s artistic vitality, audience experience, organizational effectiveness, and community connections.

New Works Featured Presentation Grants

Supported public presentations of new works or works-in-development at the annual winter meeting of the New Works Forum.

Opera for a New America

Offered from 1990 to 1996, issued grants to PCMs for audience-building initiatives that deepened connections with new North American works.

Opera for the 80s and Beyond

Offered from 1983 to 1989, was OPERA America’s first grant program to stimulate its PCMs to produce new work and expand the American repertoire.