Piedmont Opera has secured $168,527 in grants so far during its 50th anniversary season.

The largest award is $75,000 from The David R. Hayworth Foundation, tied to the company’s production of Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” and its growing commitment to High Point, N.C. The funding supports “Student Night at the Opera,” “Storytime with Piedmont Opera” for children and young families, and “HOPera,” an initiative connecting opera audiences with local bars and restaurants in High Point.

The Tri-M Foundation awarded $10,000 and The Winston-Salem Foundation awarded $20,000 in support of the company’s November North Carolina premieres of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s “Another Sunrise” and “Before It All Goes Dark.” The Winston-Salem Foundation grant supports education and outreach surrounding the productions.

The Shallowford Foundation provided $2,700 to bring opera to the Lewisville Community Center, which helped launch the company’s Opera Lite series. The series has since expanded to Yadkinville and Lexington and will soon reach High Point. Opera Lite takes performances outside the traditional theater and into communities across the region.

Operating support includes $31,327 from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County and $28,500 from the North Carolina Arts Council. The local printing company Allegra is providing $1,000 in printing support.

The grants follow the company’s decision last year to contract with Susan Brittain of Susan Brittain Consulting to expand its grant-seeking efforts. Piedmont Opera continues to pursue additional funding during the season.