Opera Philadelphia Will Offer $11 Tickets as Part of 'Pick Your Price' Initiative

All tickets for every performance of Opera Philadelphia's 2024-2025 Season will be available for $11, or a higher price of your choosing, as part of a new initiative called Pick Your Price. The pioneering ticket program, the first of its kind initiated by a major American Opera Company, represents a radical shift aimed at bringing opera to more people.

“Price can be a big barrier to entry at the opera, and ticket sales are a metric that too often determines how we program, how we engage, and how we market. If we are worried about making sure we sell expensive tickets, it limits the possibility of who we reach and what we make.” said Anthony Roth Costanzo, the star countertenor who took the helm as General Director and President on June 1. “Pick Your Price invites everyone to connect with Opera Philadelphia at a price that works for them. We hope it encourages audiences to take a risk and try something new, allows parents to bring their children more easily, and spurs opera lovers to come to more performances. It makes the cost of a night out to dinner and a show more manageable. Ultimately, our goal is to bring opera to more people and bring more people to the opera.”

International opera star and 2023 Kennedy Center honoree Renée Fleming spoke to what a ticket access program at this scale means for the field: “This is a landmark moment for opera and a new intrepid model for how we connect with audiences.”

Pick Your Price starts now, and tickets are available for all three productions in the 2024-2025 Season: Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek's The Listeners (Sept. 25, 27, & 29, 2024), Joseph Bologne's The Anonymous Lover (Jan. 31 & Feb. 2, 2025), and Mozart's Don Giovanni (April 25 & 27, May 2 & 4, 2025).

Costanzo, who has sought investment in a new vision for the future of Opera Philadelphia since he arrived in the General Director's office on June 1, announced today that with the incredible support of the Board of Directors, Opera Philadelphia has raised over $7 million in gifts and pledges in his first ten weeks in office, allowing the company to come clean on all accrued current debt and build a dynamic, exciting new chapter.

At the start of his tenure, Costanzo was met with a budget shortfall, an accumulation of outstanding bills, and a cash crunch going into The Listeners, one of the biggest productions the company has ever mounted. Costanzo said he wanted Opera Philadelphia to move past emergency fundraising to a healthier development practice that could fuel an opera company focused on artistic innovation, audience engagement, and new, sustainable economic models.

“I cannot say enough about the ongoing generosity of the Opera Philadelphia Board of Directors. They have kept this important company alive through numerous challenges, including the pandemic,” Costanzo said. “I am incredibly grateful for their vote of confidence in Pick Your Price and the new vision for the future of Opera Philadelphia. Innovation is born of risk, and risk inherently brings the possibility of failure, but as an industry, we can no longer afford to make only safe choices. The hardest work is still ahead of us as we pave a responsible path to reach new highs. Now that we have leveled the Playing Field, I am eager to seek the funds that help us look forward, and I pledge to honor the Board's commitment by working together with transparency and accountability.”

Opera Philadelphia Board Chair Stephen K. Klasko,MD, MBA, who stepped up along with several other members with a major new gift as part of the board's contributions towards this effort, praised the work of Costanzo and the generosity of other Board members in helping the company reach financial stability and retire past debt. Dr. Klasko retired as President of Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health on December 31, 2021. 

“When I left Jefferson, I wanted to take on the role as board chair to accomplish two things.” Dr. Klasko said. “First, was to bring in a world class General Director, and we have found that with Anthony. Second, was to see the company reach solid financial ground, allowing it to fully realize its mission of broadening the impact of this incredible art form. I believe Opera Philadelphia is poised not only to create meaningful experiences for the people of this city, but also to expand what the word opera means, and move the needle in the world of the arts. Pick Your Price launches that work in bold fashion, and I am proud to have worked with my colleagues on the board to make it a reality.”
How will the new ticket model work?

Pick Your Price is accessible immediately at operaphila.org, through Opera Philadelphia's Guest Services department at 215.732.8400, or via the Academy of Music and Kimmel Center box offices. While every seat to every show will begin at $11, patrons will have the option to select a different amount, including the standard ticket price, to help make opera more accessible. Subscription and membership packages will remain in place, providing loyal subscribers and members first access to seats and the ability to retain the same seats year after year. Group sales options also remain, as will $2 tickets for individuals from low-income households or households with disabilities via the Art-Reach ACCESS Program.

“We encourage patrons who can pick the standard price or pay more than $11 to do so knowing that each extra dollar they spend helps support operagoers who can't afford as much,” Costanzo said. “The value of the art on stage is immeasurable, and opera remains expensive. Since its inception, it has always depended on the generosity of donors and sponsors to breathe life into the music and stories. We are seeking support to help keep this program vibrant in subsequent years and strengthen the civic fabric of Philadelphia with this kind of access to art."

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