Flyers of American Airlines who find themselves flipping through its first and business class in-flight magazine this month will be able to get to know some of the top opera houses in America, all of which are AGMA signatory companies. The magazine, Celebrated Living, features Opera Philadelphia, Santa Fe Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis on page 40 of its January/February issue.
Written in honor of Opera America’s 50th anniversary, the three-page spread includes quotes from David Devan, Philadelphia’s general director and president; Robert Meya, Santa Fe’s general director; and Andrew Jorgensen, Saint Louis’ general director. Following the publication, AGMA reached out to the opera houses for further thoughts.
“Opera Philadelphia started its festival model about two years ago and it has been a game changer,” said Mark Malachesky, AGMA Board member and Opera Philadelphia Chorister, and Evelyn Santiago Schulz, Area Chairperson, in a phone interview with AGMA. Both have been with the Company for over 20 years. “Always forward thinking, Opera Philadelphia's ‘O Festival’ has now set a trend with other companies taking notice and developing their own versions to appeal to a more diverse audience."
“Since Santa Fe Opera’s founding over 60 years ago, this magical place has provided the platform with necessary resources for its success,” Brad Woolbright, Director of Artistic Administration, told AGMA. Woolbright has been with the Company for 43 years. “Santa Fe ensures the excellence of opera’s future through its apprentice programs, in one of the most spectacular geographic settings. We bring together an array of talent whose primary goal is to foster an understanding of the artform and keep the operatic canon looking ever forward.”
“In our 45-year history, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis has built a reputation for discovering, nurturing, and promoting the very best and brightest young artists in our field. We take enormous pride in the quality of our young artist programs and the number of alumni who return to us in subsequent years as principal singers,” shared Anh Le, Director of Marketing and PR at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. “Add to that a commitment to building new audiences, and it’s clear that Opera Theatre is driven to ensure that American opera not only succeeds but thrives for generations to come.”
According to American Airlines’ media kit, Celebrated Living reaches 19.5 million premium class passengers with each issue.
All three of the AGMA companies mentioned in the article have upcoming productions. Opera Philadelphia will be putting on Madame Butterfly April 24 – May 3; Opera Theatre of Saint Louis will be presenting Carmen from May 24 – June 27, Die Fledermaus from May 30 – June 28, Awakenings from June 7 – 26, and Susannah from June 13 – June 27; and Santa Fe Opera will perform The Barber of Seville, The Magic Flute, Tristan Und Isolde, and Rusalka beginning in July.