(Photo: OperaDelaware)

OperaDelaware, founded in 1945 and the 11th oldest company in the US, was set to celebrate its 75th season in 2020, right as the COVID pandemic began. The artists were about to arrive in Wilmington to begin rehearsals. As the company—and the rest of the art world—realized how the pandemic would impact their work, administrators and board members thought hard about what to do.

“We were at a loss on how we would take care of our artists. We started having serious conversations about how our artists are always one step away from bad luck, ill health, or some other crisis that could send them into financial oblivion. Sadly, we noted that when people left the field of opera, it was usually because of the lack of support for the workforce,” said OperaDelaware General Director Brendan Cooke in an interview with OperaWire.

“We started to wonder what it might look like to re-invent what it means to work in opera. Who better to work in our marketing, development and other departments than the entrepreneurial and highly educated artists that we put on our stage?  Would this administrative experience aid in keeping artists in opera after they decide that a career on the road is not for them?” Cooke said.

Kerriann Otaño, Vice President of Engagement, added, “We thought if we give our artists stability and a homebase, while also training them to be the future leaders of the industry, we are ensuring that we don’t lose these talented, smart, creative, dedicated opera enthusiasts to another sector. We also get the opportunity to hear from our artists and to embed them more meaningfully in the community. This leads to more impactful partnerships, better donor relations, and more creative problem solving.”

This brainstorming led to the creation of the Company Artist Model, completing its inaugural year this December. The idea was to find ways for the artists to work in other parts of the company, receive a salary and benefits, including health care and housing stipends. Successful fundraising, including the awarding of major grants, allowed the company to move forward with the program.

The company opted to invite four singers to join the program. While their primary work is on the mainstage as opera singers, each has assumed additional roles in the company. When not involved in a performance, the singers are performing in studio offerings and assisting in administrative roles in marketing, development, education, and facilities management. The company received assistance from Michael Mael, the former Executive Director of the Washington National Opera, who presented a ten-unit curriculum surrounding non-profit arts management.

The company decided to extend the contract to its artists for another year, to continue building the relationships in the community. “Our ability to send fully developed professional artists into our community has been a game changer in the new customer acquisition department,” said Cooke. “The audience response has been profoundly positive. When our audience sees our artists in the community, they feel more connected to us and our mission. Many of our audience members have gotten to know our artists by name – a dream come true!”

Furthermore, the program provides a model for other companies. “I believe this model will continue to develop and will become an industry standard,” said Otaño.

The first four singers serving in the Company Artist model are sopranos Toni Marie Palmertree and Emily Margevich, tenor Dane Suarez, and baritone Gerard Moon.

Toni Marie Palmertree credits her prior experiences managing a professional children’s chorus for her success as a Company Artist. “I gained skills in grant writing, managing and inspiring volunteers, graphic design, accounting, website maintenance, and donor relations. I have always believed that many of the challenges facing the opera and entertainment industries could be solved by including the input of the artists. The opportunity to voice my ideas and opinions, to challenge the status quo, to problem solve with other artists, to make real change for the industry and the artists is a once in a lifetime opportunity. As a Company Artist, I’ve helped curate programs both on the main stage, at the Opera Delaware studios and in our communities.  We have offered more educational outreach to children and teachers. Artists are involved in every aspect of the process from budgets, repertoire selection, identifying venues, collaborating with corporations and other arts organizations, design and creating of marketing materials, and building and maintaining relationships with donors. We have really challenged the idea that companies can only sell tickets to the most popular operas like ‘Carmen’ and ‘Butterfly’ as examples. Our audiences have flocked to performances where we have offered selections from operas typically reserved for bigger houses.”

Emily Margevich believes her “being in the right place at the right time” led her to become a Company Artist.

“OperaDelaware needed a last-minute replacement for a ‘Traviata’ concert. I was studying at The Academy of Vocal Arts at the time, and on a random winter night I met Brendan, Kerriann, and Dane in what turned out to change the rest of my life. When I finished my time at AVA, I was asked to be part of the first cohort of Company Artists. This program has saved my soul and my career.”

“We are all educated, professional opera singers, each in different stages of our careers. I have my Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Artist Diploma all in Opera Performance, and I did professional Musical Theatre as a child in Chicago. What I’m loving most about the program is how we celebrate our individual passions and separate strengths when we’re not singing. I am very enthusiastic about Music Education, particularly in sharing music with children ages five to ten in our communities who may not know opera. This spring I visited Richey Elementary and launched my Music Education program, where the students and I discussed the importance and value in having confidence and a strong imagination, along with learning about opera.”

Dane Suarez remembers a conversation he had with Cooke shortly after moving to Wilmington. “We talked about what it really means to work in opera, and how so many singers must have ‘side gigs’ to support their performance careers. More often than not, those jobs are completely outside the field. The Company Artist Model gives me the opportunity to work within the opera industry. I had already been doing digital media work, graphic design, and social media for other artists and opera companies, so stepping into this role felt like a natural extension and perfect utilization of my skills. I’m also enjoying the chance to be involved in artistic planning. I’ve also seen firsthand how audiences become more engaged when they know someone on stage, and are more likely to return. This model helps build a sustainable future for the art form. One of our many challenges helping people understand that this is a model that prioritizes stability, creative agency, and community impact. The truth is, I have a salaried position with health insurance, and I get to do work I know deeply and care about, without compromising my ability to perform on the road. Getting closer to the process has made me a better artist, a stronger advocate, and a more engaged member of the community.”

Moon admits he longed for some stability. “As performers, we’re always traveling, meeting new people in new places, and adapting to new environments. While I’m grateful for that, I’ve also dreamed of settling down more, of being rooted in a community and contributing in a deeper way. We’re not just singing and leaving. We’re involved, invested, and growing together. I believe all of that ultimately makes the art stronger, and that strength reaches the audience. I’ve learned so much from the people we meet in pop-up opera or other performances. Many of them had never seen an opera before. Some didn’t even know OperaDelaware existed. And yet, after just one experience, they were hooked. They came to future concerts. They came to our mainstage productions. So many people still think opera is something distant or too difficult. But the problem isn’t that opera is boring. It’s that people haven’t had the chance to experience it. Once they do, they often love it.”