A cornerstone of Opera Volunteers International’s mission is to encourage volunteers in all aspects of opera support. The purpose of Opera Volunteer International’s Matching Grants program is to encourage the expansion and development of programs that recruit, develop, and train volunteers for service in their communities and for participation in all phases of opera company support.
Applicants can choose between two application formats: a Printable Microsoft Word document to fill out, save, and email in, or an Online Form featuring auto-save, so you can complete your form at your own pace. Your application is automatically forwarded to OVI, with a copy sent to you for your records.
Have a Question for our Matching Grant Chair? Reach out via email:
Julie Anne Benson: memberservices@
Click here to download a Microsoft Word document of the application materials.
2024 MATCHING GRANT AWARDS
Coloratura! Newsletter – Portland Opera Guild
The Portland Opera Guild newsletter has undergone a major redesign and editorial overhaul recently, as the Guild resumed its activities post-pandemic. The goal of The Coloratura! is not just as a newsletter, but a way to augment positive public/opera influencer opinion about the artform in the state. As an organization that is older than the opera company its supports (founded in 1960), the Guild’s mission is broad: “To stimulate interest and participation in opera for the benefit of cultural, educational, and musical life in all of Oregon.” It also provides a curated platform to provide information about opera resources beyond those in the region. The Coloratura! is produced in conjunction with each luncheon that occurs one week before the first performance of each Portland Opera production.
Richard Horswell is responsible for the re-design of the newsletter, which he originally designed i2005, in a full-bleed four-color high-paper grade format that can be either a self-mailer or distributed via envelope. The online version can be downloaded on the guild’s website. The Coloratura! has a printing partner that delivers “at cost” production work for approximately 130 newsletters that are printed. Each Coloratura! newsletter costs approximately $2.00 per piece (delivered) 4/year. It is the primary communications vehicle for the guild and is used for membership recruitment, retention, news, milestones, and opera world news as space permits. Coupled with other vehicles including social media, phone tree, and email communications, members remain informed on guild projects. These project goals have been achieved:
- Highly-subscribed readership achieved.
- Extraordinary feedback to new format
- Ease of use
- Interest in editorial, and function for administrative matters like luncheon reservations.
- Building awareness with the Portland Opera and their leadership
- Cohesive new partnership opportunities being developed between Portland Opera and Guild leadership.
- Thought leadership positioning achieved as a single point-of-contact for quality and reliable information about Guild and opera news in Oregon.
Opera for All FILM SCREENINGS – Opera Maine
The 2023 Film Series, conceived, researched and planned by the Volunteer Programming Committee, presented a series of filmed operas from some of the world’s most acclaimed opera companies, orchestras, directors and soloists. Admission is open to all, and free to selected senior communities and, through Opera Maine’s Opera for All initiative, free to audience members aged 25 and under. New volunteers from the University of Maine graduate program will offer pre-show talks and set up and operate audio visual equipment and provide tech support. As always, the volunteers provided friendly greetings and served as ambassadors for Opera Maine. The success of the project led to it continuing in 2024. The 2023 Opera Film series, featuring three opera film screenings presented at Lunt Auditorium in Oceanview at Falmouth, Falmouth, Maine, engaged 14 Opera Maine volunteers, including the volunteer Programming Committee, ushers, technical/production support, and a dramaturg, all of whom made significant contributions to the program’s success.
The eight-person volunteer Programming Committee took on the responsibility of researching and selecting opera films that would appeal to both long-time opera fans and newcomers to the art form, and that would offer a diverse range of musical and visual experience for the audience. Collectively, the committee has a vast range of opera-going experience and knowledge, and provided exceptional guidance. The committee met several times during the late fall/early winter 2022 planning period.
The three film screenings took place in January (Die Fledermaus, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, 2003, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski), March (La Fille du Régiment, Royal Opera, 2007, conducted by Bruno Campanella), and May (Il Barbiere di Siviglia, 1988, directed by Claus Viller for film and conducted by Gabriele Ferro.) Our volunteer ushers were the first members of the Opera Maine community to greet audience members upon their arrival, offering a warm welcome, providing information, and helping audience members to their seats. Our team of four ushers included one or our regular summer-season ushers as well as three new volunteers. The winter/spring film series allowed us to draw new volunteers as well as new audiences, and we anticipate engaging more winter/spring volunteers in the future. Opera Maine’s Executive Director, Caroline Koelker, also greeted audience members and shared information about Opera Maine.
Opera Maine also engaged a new technical/production support volunteer to operate the projector and sound system for the screenings. In our summer live-opera season, we typically do not have a need for technical/production support volunteers, so the film series created a new engagement opportunity.
The Opera Film Series also allowed us to expand the ranks of our volunteer dramaturgs. Rebecca Goff, a graduate student at the University of Southern Maine (MM in Vocal Pedagogy) served as the dramaturg for the series, engaging audiences in a pre-screening talk and lively discussion for each film.
The Opera Film Series was attended by 180 audience members, with 42 people also attending the pre-show dramaturgical conversations.
HISTORIC TOUR – Central City Opera Guild
Central City Opera Guild’s annual Historic Properties preparation and maintenance project includes three core volunteer opportunities – Planting Day, Housewarming, and Inventory Days/ Season Closing. The match for this grant will be raised through a combination of the Guild’s annual Spring Membership Drive and individual solicitations of donors who are interested in CCO’s historic preservation mission.
The Guild’s work in the Historic Properties division of CCO performs a crucial function: the organization’s Summer Opera Festival simply could not happen without the volunteers who prepare the environment and artist homes in Central City each year.
FAMILY OPERA – THE MAGIC FLUTE – Chattanooga Symphony & Opera
In our 2024-25 season the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera will expand our opera offerings to children by presenting three Family Opera performances of The Magic Flute, including two in Title I schools. These performances are initially planned for either October 2024, January 2025, or May 2025 at Collegedale Commons or the Chattanooga Public Library, but dates and the venue are yet to be finalized and are still subject to change.
50TH ANNIVERSARY PROJECT – Chicago Opera Theater
To support this project, COT formed a 50th Anniversary Committee, which is made up of long-time Chicago Opera Theater Board members, patrons, and artists (approximately 12) that are primarily seniors. Volunteers will work closely with Chicago Opera Theater staff in order to create the general guidelines for how the display will best function.
Once the guidelines are established, the volunteers will be given a greater sense of autonomy to execute the display to the committee’s content. Staff seeks to use this time capsule as a way to provide these volunteers with a greater stake in this Gala as there is an acknowledgment that these volunteers are the lifeblood of COT and have seen the organization through much, if not all, of the history they are helping to represent through this display.
WORLD OPERA DAY RECITAL – Erwin H Johnson Fund
The Erwin H. Johnson Memorial Fund Inc., for Opera, proposes a collaborative recital with the Tormenta D’Amore Baroque Ensemble, in celebration of World Opera Day in Buffalo, NY. The event will feature a repertoire of 17-18th century celebratory arias, art songs, and pieces, played on period Baroque instruments—harpsichord, lute, and Baroque violin— as they would have been centuries ago. Performers will briefly introduce each piece: highlighting historical performance practices, composer information, and interesting facts about the music and instruments featured. These will double as mini music appreciation and music history lessons, educating audiences and fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of an often-underrepresented genre of operatic and classical vocal music.
OPERA ON THE STEPS – Niagara Arts Cultural Center
NACC Opera on the Steps will take place July 2024, at the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center in a weeklong celebration of the 100-year-old Niagara Falls High School building. It will be a free outdoor concert organized by volunteers from the NACC opera committee. Staff will also provide fundraising for the project. This will be the first free outdoor event for NACC.
INVOLVING LOCAL PERFORMERS IN LA TRAVIATA – Peach State Opera
Peach State Opera will increase our efforts to include local community choruses and dance groups into as many of our performances as possible for the 2024–25 season of Giuseppe Verdi’s “La traviata” (The Fallen Woman). Our goal is to have these local groups of volunteers perform alongside our professional cast which not only gives these artists the opportunity to be on stage in an opera, but helps us to attract their community as a whole by encouraging their friends and families to attend. This provides us with a better chance to engage these underserved communities that would usually not be exposed to opera.
ALL ACCESS OPERA – Young Patronesses of the Opera-Miami
Implementation of an All Access Opera Materials for Autistic and Neuro-diverse Children that includes development of materials for our In School opera performances of Hansel & Gretel mini opera to 25 elementary schools and producing opera events for neuro diverse audiences. YPO has supplemented our Opera Funtimes Hansel and Gretel children’s workbook with a story board and other materials to make them more accessible.
We have joined with Nashville Opera to implement a revolutionary program, All-Access Opera Education, to make opera inclusive for ALL students— providing special evidence-based toolkits designed in collaboration with the Treatment and Research Institute of Autism Spectrum Disorders at Vanderbilt University. The program bolsters accessibility for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other disabilities and creates exciting new learning opportunities and audience experiences for students through opera. It is the first program of its kind to be documented for replication in communities across the United States.
2023 MATCHING GRANT AWARDS
The Guild of the Glimmerglass Festival
Volunteers Support: A Day at the Festival for Students The Guild will use their matching grant to support volunteer efforts for A Day at the Festival for Students at the August 1st performance of La Boheme. Area high school students will be treated to lunch and a performance. The Guild’s Hospitality Committee will provide the meal, serve as ushers and greeters, and ensure educational materials and teacher resources pertaining to the opera are posted on the Glimmerglass Festival website. Approximately 20 volunteers will participate.
Lyric Opera of Chicago Chapters’ Executive Board
Revealing the Lost Music of the Holocaust was a concert held at the Illinois Holocaust Museum. Pianist and educator Paul Dykstra, who has dedicated his career to uncovering and promoting the music of the Holocaust, was joined by Cantor Susan Friedman. Volunteers were recruited to greet the attendees and assist the Museum staff in attendee tours of the facility. Among the goals for this program project are: introducing the Lyric family of volunteers and patrons to those of the Holocaust Museum, and putting into practice Lyric’s commitment to the IDEA values of Inclusion, Diversity, Equality and Access while growing a more active and engaged volunteer membership. A full report will be given at the opera conference and in a future OVI Newsletter.
Opera Maine Opera for All film
Opera for All film screenings The 2023 Film Series, conceived, researched and planned by the Volunteer Programming Committee, will present a series of filmed operas from some of the world’s most acclaimed opera companies, orchestras, directors and soloists, including Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II, La Fille du Regiment by Gaetano Donizetti, and Il Barbiere di Siviglia, by Giochino Rossini. Admission is open to all, and free to selected senior communities and, through Opera Maine’s Opera for All initiative, free to audience members aged 25 and under. New volunteers from the University of Maine graduate program will offer pre-show talks and set up and operate audio visual equipment and provide tech support. As always, the volunteers will provide friendly greetings and serve as ambassadors for Opera Maine.
Minnesota Opera Light Walkers Project
“Light Walkers” are volunteers who stand-in for the principals during the often-tedious, yet much-needed technical rehearsals to set light cues in a given production. Approximately 28 Light Walkers will be recruited for the staging of Don Giovanni. The volunteers will be recruited and managed by Minnesota Opera using Galaxy (a volunteer recruitment, management and communication tool). Volunteers will be given an orientation and directed by MN Opera Staff. These volunteers will get an “up close and personal” behind the scenes experience in the creation of an opera. MN Opera tracks the cost of staff hours dedicated solely to volunteer support and training, and this project will come to roughly 148 hours, which is roughly $3700 on average. Ancillary supplies such as printed training materials and light refreshments are also provided.
Opera Theater Oregon Nu Nah-Hup: Sacajawea’s Story
Opera Theatre Oregon’s project centers on Nu Nah-Hup: Sacajawea’s Story, an intercultural collaboration with Agai-Dika/Lemhi-Shoshone culture bearer and descendent of Sacajawea, Rose Ann Abrahamson. Nu Nah-Hup: Sacajawea’s Story will reimagine the extraordinary Shoshone woman who was a crucial member of the the Lewis and Clark Expedition in a new opera-theater work. OTO will premier a 35- minute scene of this new work alongside excerpts of music, soundscapes, and presentations of traditional Agai-Dika/Lemhi-Shoshone language and culture. As many as fifty volunteers will be recruited throughout the production period to assist with everything from fundraising, marketing, organizing the benefit soiree, to set design, accounting and more.
2022 MATCHING GRANT AWARDS
Central City Opera Guild: Volunteers Maintain a Denver Tradition with Virtual Holiday Home Tour
For the past 45 years, Central City Opera Guild’s L‘Esprit de Noel Holiday Home Tour has served as a major fundraiser and Denver holiday tradition. Utilizing scores of volunteers, this walking tour of lavishly decorated historic Denver homes is a major volunteer effort. The 2021 Virtual Walking Tour will feature the home of Peter Court, brother to Baby Doe Tabor. In 1956, the CCO commissioned the Ballad of Baby Doe, and it is traditionally programmed every ten years. This year will again be a virtual tour of three historic homes, and the live feed will include holiday music from CCO’s touring artists. The grant will help support volunteer efforts for the virtual tour, including training on the historic significance of the homes featured as well as recognizing an opera company and Guild with roots deep into the 1930’s—the fifth oldest company in the nation. The virtual tour is scheduled to go live Friday, November 19 – midnight December 25, 2021.
Opera Maine: Training Opera Maine Volunteer Ambassadors
Opera Maine (OM) plans to use the OVI Matching Grant to help fund training and educational materials for five Opera Maine Volunteer Ambassadors, chosen from the current volunteer cadre and the Opera Maine Teen Program. Ambassadors will be trained to engage in conversation with audiences attending productions of L’elisir d’amore – The Elixir of Love—by Gaetano Donizetti and As One, by Laura Kaminsky. Opera Maine has not presented a bel canto opera in ten years, and the Opera Ambassadors will help introduce the opera -goers to Donizetti, a great master of that style.
OM believes the Opera Ambassadors will play a particularly important role for the production of As One, a contemporary chamber opera centered on the coming-of-age of a transgender woman. The As One production will present Mainers with a unique opportunity to explore the inclusion and engagement of people of diverse identities and backgrounds. Ambassadors will be prepared to guide audience members to available resources that are specific to both productions, and will be trained to converse about Opera Maine. The use of Teen Ambassadors will help grow future audience members and volunteers.
Nashville Opera Guild: Launching a Diversity and Inclusion Initiative
The Nashville Opera Guild plans to use the OVI Matching Grant to launch its Diversity and Inclusion Initiative. Nashville Opera Association and Nashville Opera Guild will celebrate the company’s 45th anniversary in Season 2025-26. As they move toward that date, they have embarked on an eight-month strategic planning process. A major focus is diversity and inclusion to grow audience and volunteer base as well as provide programming to lift up the stories and experiences of a diverse audience. The Nashville Opera Guild’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiative has four key focus areas: growing volunteer members; diversity education for the NOG Board; producing a “series for awareness and learning”; and, partnering with the Opera Board on its Advisory Committee for Artistic and Social Impact. The grant will help support funding for training, speakers for “Lunch and Learn”, and overall education and materials to train the full Guild Board in Diversity Education. The Guild’s current membership of about 180 members must be expanded and diversified to fulfill the goals set by the Guild Board.