San Francisco Opera announced today it finished 2012 with a deficit of about one and one half million dollars. SF Opera Association president George Hume reported the audited financial results for 2011-2012. The opera brought in about 24 million in ticket sales, about the same as the prior year. 8,300 donors gave a record level of support at about thirty five and a half million dollars. The total endowment by December 2012 reached over 144 million.
16,000 attended Opera at the Ballpark for Puccini’s “Turandot” even with gloomy weather predicted.
Live or in-person audience members at various venues totaled about 275,000 while virtual audience members through theaters, KQED television, KDFC FM and WFMT radio totaled about 3.8 million. The opera staged nine operas, some highlights including Renee Fleming in the title role of Donizetti’s “Lucrezia Borgia”; “Xerxes” with Susan Graham; Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” with Albina Shagimuratova.
The opera staged an educational, anti-bullying story "How Andy Found His Voice" and held a fundraiser at Saks shoe department, with champagne and hors d'oeuvres.
David Gockley has directed the opera since 2006.
Highlights for the upcoming season include Natalie Dessay in Offenbach’s “Tales of Hoffman” although she will only play the real love interest and not the imagined lovers in the dream sequences.
Patricia Racette will appear in three different opera in the 2013/2014 season.
David Gockley has commissioned a new work, Stephen King’s “Dolores Claiborne” starring Dolora Zajick.
For more information: www.SFOpera.com
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