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hhanchey@atlantaopera.org

THE ATLANTA OPERA REACHES AGREEMENT WITH ORCHESTRA

The Five-Year Agreement Runs Through 2023-2024 Season

ATLANTA – September 26, 2019 – The Atlanta Opera and The Atlanta Opera Orchestra have reached an agreement on a five-year contract extension, which now runs through the end of the 2023-24 season.

The new agreement was reached just months after the existing contract expired in July, 2019.

“As The Atlanta Opera continues to establish itself as one of the leading opera companies in the nation, the role of the orchestra becomes even more prominent, said Carl W.Knobloch, Jr. General and Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun. “The orchestra has been a critical partner in the growth of the company from 12 performances in 2013 to 32 performances in 2019. The positive relationship that we have established with the musicians in the past few years has evolved and deepened to become a real partnership. We had a respectful and collegial negotiation process this summer, which resulted in a five year agreement. This agreement will allow us to improve and strengthen our artistic operations, while keeping the stability and financial health of the Opera in mind.”

"The musicians are pleased to have reached this long-term agreement through a process that was straightforward, fair, and productive. We look forward to contributing to the continued success of The Atlanta Opera by delivering performances of the highest quality to our loyal audiences,” said William Johnston, principal violist and chair of the musicians' negotiating committee.

The core orchestra complement remains unchanged and will continue to play for The Opera’s main stage performances at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, which have increased over the last five years from three productions to four. In addition, the Discoveries series performances have increased from six to sixteen performances, bringing the total number of performances in the 2018-19 season to 32. The continued growth in performances increases the number of orchestra services available, which in turn gives the orchestra more chances to play together.

Musicians employed in The Atlanta Opera Orchestra are represented by the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.

About The Atlanta Opera

The Atlanta Opera’s mission is to build the major international opera company Atlanta deserves, with a vision to reimagine opera.

Founded in 1979, The Atlanta Opera celebrates its 40^th anniversary in the 2019-20 season. The Opera works with world-renowned singers, conductors, directors, and designers who seek to enhance the art form.

Under the leadership of internationally recognized stage director and Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun, The Atlanta Opera expanded from three to four mainstage productions at Cobb Energy Centre and launched the acclaimed Discoveries series. In recent years, the company was recognized by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as part of its “Best of 2015” awards; it was nominated for an International Opera Award in 2016; and it won ArtsATL’s 2019 Luminary Award for Community Engagement, recognizing its successful Veterans Program in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation.

In addition, The Opera was featured in a 2018 Harvard Business School case study about successful organizational growth, and Zvulun presented a TEDx Talk at Emory University entitled “The Ambidextrous Opera Company, or Opera in the Age of iPhones.”

For more information, visit atlantaopera.org