Metropolitan Opera Guild annual report

Abstract

Peters presents the annual report of the Metropolitan Opera Guild. In the 1997-98 year, the Guild was very successful in its fund raising efforts, and so was able to make an additional year-end gift to the Metropolitan.

The Guild's 1997-98 year, which ended on June 30, was unquestionably one of our most successful. It was the year in which we began planning some major changes for OPERA NEWS, which came to fruition in the September issue of the magazine. It was the year in which our regular contribution to the Association increased from $3,800,000 to $4,253,000. It was the year in which the Guild, due to its success in fund-raising, to the profitability of our merchandising operation and to the record results of the auction, was able to make an additional year-end gift of $300,000 to the Metropolitan. But, most particularly, it was the year in which our Education Department actually operated in the black while reaching more New York City children in their schools, bringing more of these children into the opera house, and mounting a fine production of Don Pasquale. Although in the first year of the much-sought-after Annenberg grants we failed to receive anything, this year we received funding in three schools, bringing the total for Lincoln Center to six. With a $60,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, we can now offer, with the addition of western regional workshops in Arizona, nationwide coverage of the Creating Original Opera teacher training program. There is a great deal of competition for funding from both Annenberg and the NEA, and it speaks highly of the talents of those in the Education Department, and of David Dik and Shellie Bransford in particular, that we were so successful.

There is so much more to be said about the Education Department's remarkable accomplishments this year, but I will mention only two. First, the lecture series, which gets better each year, thanks in part to the constant help we receive from the Met's Sarah Billinghurst and the leadership of associate education director Clarie Freimann. To quote our managing director, Rudolph Rauch, where else can you get such artists as Bryn Terfel, Catherine Malfitano, Samuel Ramey and the Guild's own board member Regina Resnik "to talk for free when they can sing for thousands"? Then there is the remarkable job David Dik has done in his first full year leading the department. David, who started Creating Original Opera, had been on the Guild's staff for ten years when he was selected to succeed Robert Bucker. How fortunate our choice has proved: in David's first year, a record $551,000 was raised for his department.

As already noted, the Publications Department spent much of the year planning for a major change in OPERA NEWS, brought about by the decision to publish monthly. The new magazine looks different, contains more editorial material and is more lavishly illustrated. For the past nine years, the department has been headed by Patrick J. Smith, who has during his editorship improved OPERA NEWS in a host of ways. For me, the most significant has been the increased coverage of new opera - American opera in particular - and of American opera companies. Patrick also declared music theater to be within the purview of the magazine and has served year after year as the Guild's highly esteemed roving ambassador. Now he has stepped down as editor but, much to our delight, will continue his association with the magazine as editor-at-large, reviewing opera and writing some of the Viewpoint columns. Ru Rauch, as if he did not have enough on his plate as the Guild's managing director and the magazine's publisher, has taken on the additional job of editor, a position that will make good use of his previous career in publishing. The considerable changes he has instituted were the subject of a major New York Times article published on September 2, 1998. Also retiring at the end of the year was John W Freeman, the Guild's longestserving staff member, with thirty-eight years to his credit. A wonderful stylist and a tremendous source of musical knowledge and expertise, he has long had a marked effect on this magazine. Again we are fortunate that John, as a contributing editor, will continue to review performances and contribute articles to the magazine.

Advertising, while not quite reaching budget, improved slightly over the prior year, which had been a record. For years, Elaine Kones, our enterprising advertising director, has complained, reflecting the wishes of our advertisers, about the irregular publishing schedule of OPERA NEWS (seventeen times a year), so I view the new schedule as a belated present to her, as well as a reason to look forward to improved advertising revenues in future years.

For the third year in a row, associate publisher Jeff Hildt has succeeded in increasing OPERA NEWS direct circulation. Concurrently, Jeff is responsible for the Guild's three websites. Last year, the OPERA NEWS site produced some 1,100 new subscribers and received an average of 550 visits a day.

Again this year, the results of the operation of the Merchandising Department made a significant contribution to the Guild's financial well-being. This was made possible by improved profit margins on our merchandise and by the extraordinary care with which Paul Gruber shepherds the whole operation. One concern is the decline of sales of audio and video recordings, the result of the doldrums in which the classical recording industry finds itself. It makes it all the more important for us to sell other merchandise, including what the Guild itself produces. We also expanded in a modest way our Lincoln Center operations by opening a booth in the Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center.

Special events once again contributed significantly to the funding of the Guild's educational costs. This year's annual luncheon, held at the Waldorf Astoria on April 9 and chaired by Mary Gene Sondericker, honored Marilyn Horne, with mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves as the guest artist. A recorded message from our honoree's friends Dame Joan Sutherland and maestro Richard Bonynge was played to the great enjoyment of our members who had gathered to honor Miss Horne. A month earlier, the Guild held what has now become its annual auction at Christie's, and this produced a record net profit of $217,000, about $50,000 more than the prior year. The redoubtable Susan Braddock who never seems to tire - aided by Beth Tunick and Clement Durkes, chaired the event. We also arranged some events for Young Friends of the Guild, a program we plan to expand. None of this would have been accomplished without the hard work of Lucinda W Frame, our director of special projects and development, who is ever willing to take on something new.

During the year, the Guild decided to initiate its move into the next century by installing a new computer system. The system, when fully functioning, will enhance the profitability of our stores and will also combat the year-2000 computer problem. Such changes are always fraught with peril, but the fact that the keen analytical mind of our finance director, Brendan Gannon, has been brought to bear on the potential problems is reassuring to all of us, and we once again are indebted to Brendan for encouraging us to move ahead.

I am particularly saddened to report the death of Sandra Meyer, the Guild's First Vice President, a member of our board since 1980 and the Association's board for twelve years. Sandra suffered through a long illness, but she never allowed it to interfere with her work for the Guild, where she served most effectively as chairman of the only joint Association/Guild committee, that dealing with our membership. Sandra was always available when needed, and all of us at the Guild will miss her wise counsel and, even more, her friendship.

At our annual meeting in May, we elected one new director. Currently the headmaster of St. David's School in New York City, Donald T. Maiocco was previously Superintendent of Schools in Nantucket and was involved in the Princeton public school system. Retiring from our board was Ray Johnson, who, in the future, expects to spend a large part of each year abroad. At this same annual meeting, Susan Braddock was elected to fill the vacancy in the office of First Vice President, and Glen Bowersock and Gretchen Nicholas were both elected to three-year terms as vice presidents. Mr. Bowersock is filling the vacancy caused by Mrs. Braddock's election, and Mrs. Nicholas succeeds Helen Marx, who completed her three-year term but will fortunately continue as a member of our Executive Committee.

Once again, I can report that the spirit of cooperation between the Association and the Guild flourishes. Ru Rauch, Thomas Hubbard, our chairman, and I are in frequent contact with the senior management of the Association and, in particular, with its general manager, Joseph Volpe, and three of his principal assistants Sarah Billinghurst, Stewart Pearce and Marilyn Shapiro. Each one significantly helps to make our jobs more interesting and certainly much easier, and has contributed to the many remarkable things the Guild was able to accomplish this past season. Of course, these accomplishments would not have been possible without the hard work of our staff and volunteers and the continuing support of our members, to whom I once again express the appreciation of the Guild's board.

Alton E Pets

President