San Diego Opera Unveils Five Year Plan Ahead of 60th Season Launch

The San Diego Tribune reports that the San Diego Opera will commence its 60th anniversary season on November 1 with a performance of Puccini's "La bohème," the same opera that inaugurated the company on May 5, 1965, at the San Diego Civic Theatre.

Beyond commemorating its history, the company is looking toward the future with an ambitious five-year strategic business plan aimed at realistic and achievable growth. General Director David Bennett and the board of directors have outlined a roadmap that includes raising an additional $10.5 million over the next five years.

The company plans to enhance its use of projections as a cost-effective storytelling tool, revive its chamber opera series, and explore co-productions with other San Diego arts organizations such as the Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, and San Diego Symphony.

This season has already seen progress with the expansion of performances at the Civic Theatre from two to three per production. Additionally, the company has hired two new department directors: Bernardo Bermudez as Director of Learning and Engagement, and Ed Hofmeister as Director of Marketing and Communications.

San Diego Opera also aims to commission a new opera approximately every other year, contributing to the expansion of the American operatic repertoire and raising the company's national profile.

The company's world premiere co-commission of "El último sueño de Frida y Diego" by Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz, presented in 2022, has been staged around the country and is scheduled for production by New York's Metropolitan Opera in the 2025-26 season.

After discontinuation due to funding shortages, the company is working to rebuild its resident artist program. Fundraising efforts have begun, and the Forbes Prize - a vocal competition named after former staff member Jim Forbes - will be established. The prize will offer a cash award and an onstage role in a mainstage production. The goal is to have the resident artist program operational by the 2026-27 season.

Under the leadership of Bermudez, the company plans to evolve its Words and Music school-based performance program, expand the Student Night at the Opera initiative, create programs for opera educators, launch adult learning opportunities, and develop pathways for careers in offstage roles. The California Voices program will commission new operas representing the state's diverse population, with the first commission expected by the 2026-27 season.

To support these initiatives, San Diego Opera has embarked on a five-year philanthropy plan overseen by Chief Philanthropy Officer Llewellyn Crain, who joined the company last year. Bennett expressed cautious optimism about meeting future fundraising goals, noting that the company's endowment has grown from $4 million to $10 million over the past decade.