From Taconic Opera "In the United States, opera is produced primarily through the import of singers as private contractors on a short term, single contract basis. Singers, under this system, often engage in agreements with agents, who set up hundreds of auditions that often result in few contracts. These singers travel from opera house to opera house, hoping to make enough money to survive during a year. It is difficult to maintain full time employment apart from the opera career because each opera requires an average of one month of resident rehearsals.

"In Europe (especially Germany), opera functions mostly with what are called "Fest" contracts. This system, engages singers at single opera houses with yearly renewable contracts. The singer lives in the city and sings all of the leading roles in that opera house (or at least the roles in their particular "fach" or voice type).

"Up to this point, only one opera company, Opera San Jose, has successfully created a full, year-round resident opera company in the United States. This company presently engages approximately ten full time residents that are paid a living wage year round, twice monthly, with benefits and even housing. Not only have they succeeded, but they have received worldwide recognition for doing so.

"Taconic Opera believes that resident opera is preferable to import opera.

"Certainly, changing the face of opera in the U.S. would be a long and arduous journey, but Taconic Opera is committed to supporting this kind of opera for its own residents in addition to promoting the creation and U.S. distribution of a template or formula for this kind of opera as well."

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Location: Yorktown Heights

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