Annual Fund

Gifts from $25 to $1,499 are deeply appreciated, and in recognition, are listed at the $100 and over level each year in the Season Program Book.

Lyric Society

Beginning at the $1,500 level, membership in the Lyric Society offers special benefits and recognition at its various contribution levels, including a photograph in the Season Program Book. At the $15,000 level and above, donors also receive a half- or full-page profile.

Benefits include: attendance at dress rehearsals, priority seating in the Ziff Ballet Opera House at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, membership in the Opera Club, advance notice of and invitations to all Opera special events, among others.

Crown Jewel Society

Beginning at the $25,000 level, membership in the Society reflects the commitment of major donors to the mission of Florida Grand Opera and represents the backbone of support for the Opera's annual operations. Donor recognition includes a full-page profile and a photograph in the Season Program Book.

At this level of support and over, benefits and recognition reflect the attribution of gifts to production sponsorships, performance underwriting, special private events with season artists and members of the Young Artist Studio, or other FGO programs, as well as other individually-designed amenities.

Corporate Membership Programs

These programs begin at the $5,000 level and are designed to introduce new prospects in this category to FGO and to maintain and augment the Opera's existing base of support among local and regional corporations and businesses. Benefits and privileges are commensurate with the level of the gift.

Major Corporate Gifts

Include those made by the American Express Company; Bank of America; BankAtlantic Foundation; BankUnited; Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc.; Citi Foundation; Deutsche Bank; FPL; Gibraltar Bank; HEICO Corporation; Jenny's Flowers, Inc.; Morton D. Weiner/AMPAC, Inc.; Podhurst Orseck, P.A.; and Ryder System, Inc.

Corporate Sponsorship Program

Opportunities exist to provide significant support for FGO productions, performances in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, season artists, the Young Artists Studio and the Annual Young Artists Showcase, the In-School Opera Program, the Opening Night Gala, After-Opera Parties and other special events.

Corporate Sponsors for the 2007 - 2008 Season include: Acura; American Airlines; BNY Mellon/Wealth Management; Comcast; the InterContinental Group; the Fort Lauderdale Grande (a Luxury Resorts Hotel); HSBC Bank, USA N.A.; The Miami Herald; Northern Trust; Piano & Art Galeria; Restaurant Associates; TotalBank and WPBT.

Matching Gifts

Many corporations have matching gift programs which enable individuals to augment their contributions in significant ways. Please contact the company's matching gift office to learn more about the program and its requirements.

Each year grants from important local and regional foundations ensure the Opera's ability to fund a broad range of annual programs. Major foundation benefactors include the Arthur F. & Alice E. Adams Foundation; the Audrey Love Charitable Foundation; the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation; and The Josephine S. Leiser Foundation.

Valued benefactors include The Batchelor Foundation; Citizens Interested in Arts, Inc.; Community Foundation of Broward; Funding Arts Broward; Funding Arts Network; Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation; The A.D. Henderson Foundation; The Hagen Family Foundation; Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce; Peacock Foundation, Inc.; and The Rosenstiel Foundation.

Important grants from local, regional and Federal resources are essential to enabling Florida Grand Opera to balance its annual operating budget, and include important support from the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs; the Broward Cultural Council; the Miami-Dade County Public Schools; the Florida Department, Division of Cultural Affairs and Florida Arts Council; the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Affairs Council; and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Bal á Paris Opening Night Gala

On Saturday, November 15, 2008, Florida Grand Opera will feature a magnificent gala and dinner-dance for 400 guest celebrating all things French—fine fashion, food, jewelry, fragrance and intriguing travel designations. The prestigious evening combines a spectacular new opening night performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata at the Arsht Center’s Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House, immediately followed by the Bal à Paris on the Lynn Wolfson Stage. The Opening Night Gala in Miami is the major benefit fundraiser for the Opera annually.

Building on last year’s celebration of the important relationship between high fashion and grand opera, the Opening Night Gala has once again invited five well-known local couture designers to create ball gowns inspired by each of the season’s five operas. 

The gowns will be auctioned during the Gala, with the proceeds to benefit the Opera.

Spend an evening in Paris with us on November 15th! For more information contact Denise Courshon at 305-854-1643, extension 1202 or dcourshon@fgo.org. 

After-Opera Parties

These events are held after each opening night of the season in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, with the exception of the season's official opening night and gala in Miami. They provide an opportunity for donors and patrons to meet and greet the stars of a production as well as the directors, conductors, designers and musicians who have make each individual production possible.

In Miami-Dade County, the After Opera Parties are held at The Arsht Center. In Broward, the After-Opera Parties are held in the ballroom of the beautiful Josephine S. Leiser Opera Center and are sponsored during the 2007 - 2008 season by HSBC Bank USA.

MusicFest

Special cruises, sponsored by the Opera, are offered annually to its patrons and donors. Accompanied by Opera personnel, these cruises to ports of call world wide include performances by members of the Young Artist Studio. A certain portion of the cost of the cruise is allocated to the support of Florida Grand Opera.

Other

Donor recognition events and other special events honoring donors and patrons of Florida Grand Opera are scheduled throughout the season.

Young Artist Society

Membership offers donors an opportunity to participate in the development of the next generation of opera stars. This 32-week career training program enables up to ten young artists each year to further their professional credentials, perform in main stage productions and community venues and participate in the Opera's important education and outreach programs. The program concludes with the Annual Young Artist Showcase, a popular performance open to the public each spring.

Crescendo Circle

The Crescendo Circle of Florida Grand Opera represents a dynamic group of ‘Young Professionals’, ranging in age from their mid- twenties to early fifties, from throughout our diverse South Florida community. Crescendo Circle members enjoy networking with one another in a variety of interesting and fun activities that combine socializing along with opera education and performances!

 

Opera education is one of the group’s chief objectives. Programs from opera etiquette to set design to raising opera awareness are just some of the varied subjects offered through membership in the Crescendo Circle. Events such as wine tastings, costume shop tours, guest speakers, attending dress rehearsals, and pre-opera cocktail parties are just a sampling of the friend-raising and fundraising activities generated by the group.

 

Plans for the upcoming season include our Season Kick-off Event at Pacific Time restaurant in the Design District, a Whiskey tasting and a ‘Black Tie and Blue Jeans “Night at the Opera”, a brand new black-tie event – with a twist! Lots more to come, contact: Meredith Keeve, Events & Volunteer Manager, at 305-854-1643, ext. 1204 or email at mkeeve@fgo.org.

 

The Guild of Florida Grand Opera

Founded in 1987, the Guild, a major volunteer support group of FGO, is committed to developing new audiences, promoting community awareness, and raising funds to support the Opera's operations. The Guild offers a host of entertaining events throughout the Opera Season. Activities during the 2007-2008 season include the Summer Opera Festival, Russian Evening Extravaganza in the Fall, Holiday Party for the Young Artists in December, a five-day Caribbean Cruise aboard the Celebrity Century in January, and the Prima Donna Luncheon in the Spring.

Opera Society

The Opera Society, now in its 31st year, fosters community interest in music, especially opera; promotes friendship among music lovers; provides charitable, educational and cultural projects for the public; and raises funds for Florida Grand Opera in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. Among its events during the 2009-2010 season are 16th Annual Diva Impresario Awards Luncheon, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner programs, Lyrical Luncheons, Mad Hatters' Tea and the 6th Annual Cultural-Humanitarian Awards Dinner.

Young Patronesses of the Opera

Now celebrating 52 years of service, this dynamic group of women from the Miami area has played an integral role in promoting the programmatic and educational activities of Florida Grand Opera, historically providing major support to the Opera for both annual and capital programs. YPO's In-School Program tours a fully-staged opera production to 52 elementary school's in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties (during the 2007 - 2008 season, a new production, Papageno, based o the character from Mozart's The Magic Flute); produces opera materials for young people; sponsors an accredited teacher training program; works collaboratively with South Florida Girl Scouts; and holds a major benefit fundraiser each year.

Junior Opera Guild

This young and enthusiastic group of supporters at the high school level learn about opera and make a contribution to help meet the Opera's needs each year.