
To ensure that all members have the opportunity to participate in these meetings, OPERA America is pleased to offer a limited number of travel subsidies to members wishing to attend the Forums. For more information and to apply for funding, please
click here.
As part of the effort to identify and respond to challenges in the field, OPERA America has established a number of artistic and administrative network Forums to advance understanding in critical areas of the industry. By coming together for focused discussions throughout the year, shared issues can be more easily addressed and an engaged network of field support created.
Development Forum
While the field’s reliance on contributed income has increased, regulations governing such income have undergone constant revision. Participants in this Forum will keep abreast of the latest changes and discuss best practices for obtaining, retaining and increasing the gifts that are vital to the production of opera.
Please contact
Amanda Parker for more information.
Education Forum
The inherently interdisciplinary nature of opera makes it a valuable tool for learning. This Forum aims share lessons learned from across the field about programming opera education programs, arts integration, assessment and evaluation procedures, community engagement projects and more.
Please contact
Leah D. Wilson for more information.
Electronic Media Forum
Technology’s constant changes provide the field with both challenges and opportunities. This Forum provides learning from national experts and colleagues to help capitalize on the potential that this ever-changing front can offer.
Please contact
Patricia Kiernan Johnson for more information.
Finance and Administration Forum
The Finance and Administration Forum (FAF) is comprised of practitioners in the field of opera administration who are dedicated to strengthening mutual understanding, improving practices in the field and encouraging the exchange of information among the networks of financial, human resources, information systems and general administration personnel.
Please contact
Larry Bomback for more information.
Marketing and PR Forum
As media outlets and their consumption continue to evolve, so too must our methods for reaching the widest possible audience for opera. Dialogue between marketing and PR professionals across the field will help the industry navigate today’s diverse marketing landscape.
Please contact
Patricia Kiernan Johnson for more information.
National Trustee Forum
Like most nonprofit organizations, the health of an opera company relies heavily on the strengths of its board. This Forum provides the capacity for OPERA America and trustees in leadership positions to learn from one another and develop a better understanding of the field’s most pressing governance issues.
Please contact
Amanda Parker for more information.
New Works Forum
The creation of new work is essential to the relevance and vitality of any art form. Opera is no exception. This Forum convenes composers, librettists, designers, producers and publishers to ask questions and share knowledge about methods for ensuring the successful creation and production of new operatic works.
Please contact
Lyndsay Werking for more information.
Singer Training Forum
This Forum aims to facilitate dialogue between voice teachers, young artist program managers, administrators, artist managers and others to help share resources and improve methods for identifying talented singers and providing well-rounded training to best prepare them for a career in opera.
Please contact
Laura Lee Everett for more information.
Technical/Production Forum
Twice a year, designers and technical/production professionals gather to share best practices and learn from one another to meet the demands of mounting new and existing productions, developing co-productions, sharing safety practices and other tasks required by the art form.
Please contact
Laura Lee Everett for more information.