Opera Volunteers International recently announced that Toledo Opera Guild and Toledo Opera have been awarded a 2023 Project of Special Merit Award. This prestigious honor is presented to groups who submit outstanding new and long-standing projects in support of opera. Eligible projects feature volunteers, and are designed to educate, build audience, and support the many facets of a company’s work. This year, Toledo Opera Guild presented Opera on Wheels with a performance of The Pirates of Penzance titled “Pizza and Pirates,” to an audience of parents, grandparents, children, and other guests. On Friday, May 19, 2023 Communications and Patron Services Coordinator Rachael Cammarn and Toledo Opera Guild Co-President Celinda Niggemyer will present to Opera Volunteers International at the 2023 Opera America Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.
“Opera Volunteers International designed the Project of Special Merit Award to promote innovative volunteer projects which are in service to their opera companies. Information about this great educational program will be shared with opera volunteers throughout the country. We are grateful that Celinda Niggemyer and Rachael Cammarn will join us in Pittsburgh at the Opera America Conference 2023 this week to present the project in detail at our educational session,” shared President of Opera Volunteers International, Mary Svela.
More about the Toledo Opera Guild: Founded in 1962, Toledo Opera Guild has played an active role in supporting Toledo Opera’s performances, education, and community outreach programs. It is the mission of the Toledo Opera Guild to promote opera awareness, education, company service, and financial support for Toledo Opera. In the past decade, Toledo Opera Guild has directly contributed over $350,000. This is in addition support such as cast rehearsal dinners (approximately $1,000) along with countless hours of volunteer expertise and help with various tasks.
Opera on Wheels: Each year, Toledo Opera’s Resident Artists serve as touring artists for the Opera on Wheels program which travels extensively, visiting local educational institutions and bringing live opera to the furthest reaches of the Toledo area. Annually, the program is performed for 20,000 students from Findlay to Ann Arbor and Sandusky to Archbold. This season, the traveling production is a newly adapted children’s opera, which sources its music and story from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. Joshua Borths of Virginia Opera is adapting the score and writing the libretto. Toledo Opera’s James Norman, Toledo Opera’s Co-Artistic Director & Director of Production, serves as the director of the production.
More about Opera Volunteers International: Opera Volunteers International (OVI) is a nonprofit volunteer organization that advocates for and supports volunteerism in opera throughout North America and beyond. OVI works to connect individuals and local opera support organizations so that successful ideas and projects are championed, publicized and shared among members. OVI celebrates the hard work of volunteers and offers ways to help make more volunteer involvement possible by recognizing achievement and creativity, supporting volunteer projects, and advocating for continued involvement of volunteers in opera. OVI believes that volunteering enriches the lives of volunteers, builds bridges to the community, and makes it possible for opera companies to do more.
For media access, please contact Rachael Cammarn at rcammarn@toledoopera.org.
Opera on Wheels is made possible by The Baumker Charitable Foundation, Buckeye Broadband, the France Stone Foundation, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, ProMedica, and the Waite-Brand Foundation. For media access, please contact Rachael Cammarn at rcammarn@toledoopera.org.
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