Opera was an American art form all summer long. From Saint Louis in June to San Francisco in September (for the wonderful opening of the company’s 100th season), I attended performances of works that were remarkable for their variety, for their connections to the world we live in, and for the virtuosic work of singers, directors, conductors, designers, and all their creative colleagues. Of the nearly 15 productions I enjoyed, only one was a 19th-century European work. OPERA America leaders who first advocated for a steady and collaborative investment in new works in the 1970s and 1980s must be very pleased.

As the summer progressed, however, reports from opera companies amplified the crisis of staffing among administrators, production personnel, and technicians. Key positions remained open across the field as experienced colleagues found work in other sectors. Recruiting new staff has proved difficult in light of a greater desire among candidates for reasonable work hours and remote flexibility along with good pay and benefits.

Of greatest impact was the collective voice of artists who spoke out loudly in response to a hurtful post on an OPERA America platform. Five listening sessions followed during which we were reminded painfully of the unacceptable treatment of artists, especially those who participate in apprentice programs at member companies. Punishing rehearsal and performance schedules, poor housing and transportation, and low pay were among the issues they raised. Many established artists continue to work without health insurance or the possibility of unemployment benefits. Most disturbing were the reports of sexual harassment, which continues to pervade our industry.

Later this month, and after two years of work in close partnership with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), we will launch a program of field-wide anti-harassment training designed to ensure that opera companies provide safe places to create art and uplift the human spirit onstage and backstage as well as in the theater.

But let’s turn the clock back to 1966 and the publication of the landmark book Performing Arts — The Economic Dilemma: A Study of Problems Common to Theater, Opera, Music, and Dance (MIT Press). Authors William Baumol and William Bowen wrote, “In many ways, the working conditions of the performer fall below what might be considered reasonable standards. ... Exhausting tours, high professional expenses, frequent unemployment with its accompanying uncertainty, the rarity of paid vacations, and the frequent lack of provision for retirement all add up to what most of us would consider a nightmare world were we suddenly plunged into it” (page 134).

We have made great strides in many areas, but in terms of the treatment of the talented people who bring our art form to life, little has changed in more than half a century. As we emerge from the ravages of COVID and reexamine what we produce, where we produce it, and for whom it is produced, I urge everyone working in and supporting our field to find a new normal in our relationship with artists.