El Paso Opera

Location:: El Paso, TX
Grant Cycle:: 2023
Amount:: $8,000
Type of Grant:: Programming
Disciplines:: Arts Education, Opera

El Paso Opera began in 1992 as Opera a la Carte offering excerpts of classical opera. After overwhelming support indicated a desire for fully-staged, complete operatic productions, the organization expanded to a full company in 1994. El Paso Opera has continued to give the region high-quality art and entertainment despite financial difficulty and a trying economy. We strive to give El Pasoans even greater access to opera through expanded outreach and engagement, lower ticket pricing and innovative presentations. Accessibility and approachability have become the cornerstones of content we offer the community. We have found the best way to do this is to offer varied content. Our last few seasons have showcased a combination of beloved opera classics with new and innovative programming. In addition, we focus on presenting traditional titles in non-traditional ways. By offering such varied content in such varied ways, we have expanded our reach throughout the community and solidified our presence as an important member of the El Paso arts community.
Our mission is to harness the transformative power of our art to engage with the local and larger community as a lasting and valued cultural service.
Our Core Values are Artistic integrity,Community engagement, Education, Diversity and inclusion, Opportunities for local and emerging talent, Accessibility and Fiscal responsibility.
Our complete Season 30 programming includes-Mozart by Moonlight Concert(estimated 1500 attendees)-Sunday in the Park with George production (estimated 2000 attendees)-Community Engagement and Education program, spans the entire season (estimated 10,000 attendees)-special events and fundraisers.
Supporting the arts in our schools is imperative. Academic achievement, attendance and graduation rates all improve when a child has access to arts education. According to the research conducted by the Texas Cultural Trust published in their 2019 State of the Arts Report, students who complete more arts courses have up to 15% higher pass rates on standardized tests, are more likely to stay in school and have a 3% higher attendance rate. In addition, access to Arts education improves overall academic performance resulting in a 11.5% increase in college enrollment immediately after high school and leading to a better prepared workplace. Voters also agree that arts are a very important part of a child’s education with over 73% of Texas voters in favor of increased state funding for the arts in Texas public schools.
El Paso Opera is the only professional opera organization in our region and therefore the product we offer is different from other local arts organizations. We take our position as the sole professional opera provider very seriously and strive to maintain quality on the stage and off. In addition to our on-stage programming, we also offer a sizable amount of free community performances totaling over fifty free performances each season. Lastly, our Education program provides support and assistance to local school districts as well as community groups outside of the traditional school setting to introduce the next generation to Opera! Between our stage performances, free community performances and educational programming, we are bringing opera to the people of El Paso, a mission which no other organization shares. In doing so, we contribute to our community’s quality of life, employing numerous working artists and increasing our region’s desirability for recruitment purposes. In addition, our performances generate money for our local economy. We employ many artists, team members, stage crew etc that will earn income from working with us. Our performances provide numerous opportunities for people to spend money in downtown restaurants, parking garages and hotels. In addition, a prosperous arts community plays a large role in recruiting more businesses to our region and more high level employees to these businesses. Our impact is felt in all of these areas.