LETTER FROM MN OPERA LEADERSHIP Our 56th season was an exemplary success in pursuing our mission to change lives through the power of opera and our bold vision to sing every story. In this report, you will discover a multitude of accomplishments ranging from the first reprisal of our hit new work, Silent Night, to the acquisition of the Lab Theater, which will allow us to expand our North Loop Campus. We also created an opera centered around baseball for our 47th new work, and for our youth training program Project Opera, we commissioned The Song Poet, the first ever Hmong story represented in opera. In March 2019, we hosted five opera companies from around the country for the first of three annual gatherings focused on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at our respective organizations and throughout the industry. Finally, we are thrilled to share the creation of a new impact model that better represents and communicates the relationship between our work both on and off the stage and its impact within our community. The breadth of our work produces powerful outcomes represented in three major areas: engaging diverse audiences through worldclass productions; building the profession and developing the next generation of artists; and changing the lives of artists, students, and the community. As we look to the future, we envision a vibrant and sustainable opera company, focused on an open, innovative, and inclusive environment for artistic creation that represents our entire community. This ideal is the opera company of the future, and we can achieve this vision only through your generous support and that of the community we proudly serve. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this season’s success! Sincerely,
H. Bernt von Ohlen
Ryan Taylor
Board Chair
President and General Director
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