2008-2009 Annual Report

Today is the first board meeting of the 2009-2010 Season, so it is the perfect time to officially wrap up last year.

The 2008-2009 Annual Report [PDF/4 mb] is now available and the news is good. For the fourth consecutive season, Madison Opera ended its fiscal year "in the black" with a positive net income. Despite a historically-challenging economic climate, we produced an artistically exceptional season and saw an increase in donated revenue. Our community education initiative Creating OPERAtunities was launched with new programs such as the High School Apprenticeship Program and Madison Opera Book Club along with continuing programs including the Student Matinee, A Night at the Opera, and Opera Up Close. Madison Opera remained committed to its mission to engage, inspire and enrich the community while advancing appreciation for the operatic art form and awakening new audiences to the excitement of opera. From a personal standpoint, I can say we all had a lot of fun along the way, too.

At the year end meeting of the Board of Trustees in August, new members were appointed and governing officers elected. We are happy to announce that Carla Alvarado, Laura J. Berhahn, MD, Catherine Furay and Patti Lucas are the newest members of the Madison Opera team. The new officers are Fran Klos (President), Stephen Hurley and Peter Lundberg (Vice Presidents), Martin Barret (Treasurer) and Jan Von Haden (Secretary).

Thank you to our board, patrons and donors for a fantastic year! We look forward to sharing the new season with you all.