(Photo credit: Weaver)

The Center Square Foundation has released findings on LA Opera from its on-going investigation into government spending on nonprofits.

The Foundation is digging into data to determine which nonprofits serve legitimate needs and which are a waste or misuse of taxpayer money. The findings are based on IRS tax return filings that are made public for nonprofits.

When looking to LA Opera the Foundation found that the non-profit reported receiving $27 million in government grants over the past decade. Gleaned from audited financial statements was that the nonprofit received $2.45 million in taxpayer-funded grants during the most recently-reported fiscal year. Moreover, LA Opera spent roughly $33 million on executive compensation. It also uncovered that another executive received more than $7 million through LA Opera’s contract with his production company, plus personal-use housing and first-class travel.

According to the IRS reports, President and CEO Christopher Koelsch received $974,878 in compensation plus $26,200 in “other compensation” during the fiscal year ending June 2025, putting his total reported compensation just over $1 million. One year earlier, Koelsch received more than $1.2 million. The organization as a whole reported $3.7 million in executive compensation that year and another $3 million the following year.

These records also show that Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic Officer John Nuckols was paid nearly $511,000. Vice President of Artistic Planning Rupert Hemmings received more than $353,000. Vice President Diane Rhodes Bergman was paid nearly $315,000.

LA Opera’s tax returns also show that the organization has also provided first-class travel and “housing allowance(s) or residence(s) for personal use,” for Music Director James Conlon. Although Conlon is technically paid $0.00 by the nonprofit, he has received approximately $7,283,697 in compensation through LA Opera’s contract with Amadeus Music Productions over the past decade. Until the 2019 tax year, General Director Plácido Domingo also received first-class travel.

The Center Square said that the Communications Director Marlene Meraz, did not respond to its multiple requests for comment on the nonprofit’s receiving of government funds and large compensation packages.

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