On Site Opera to Close After 12 Years

The company mounted productions in soup kitchens and cafes, bringing opera to new audiences

On Site Opera, an innovative company focused on presenting imaginative, site-specific productions, has announced that it will close on account of financial difficulty. In a statement, the company explained that the state of the current funding environment for the arts, as well as a rise in operational costs, have meant that they are no longer able to provide fair compensation for their staff and artists.

Over its twelve-year history, the company produced 30 site-specific operas, five of which were world premieres. They partnered with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Museum of Natural History, Harlem’s Cotton Club, and the South Street Seaport Museum, among others.

Its venues included New York City coffee shops and the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, and during the pandemic, the company brought operas to patrons over the phone and by mail.

The company piloting the delivery of supertitles through Google Glass and offering a multilingual mobile app.

The company will cease its operations in Winter 2025.

"We are immensely proud of what On Site Opera has achieved in reimagining how opera is experienced and setting a standard for artistic excellence in the field," said Corey Kinger, the President of On Site Opera’s Board of Directors. "While this decision was incredibly difficult, it reflects our unwavering commitment to the values that have guided this company since its inception. As stewards of On Site Opera’s legacy, we could not in good conscience continue without being able to guarantee the company had the future financial foundation necessary to continue to uphold the fairness and artistic integrity that have always been our hallmark."

"This decision has been extraordinarily difficult, but necessary as the arts are facing significant financial headwinds," said Piper Gunnarson, On Site Opera’s General Director and CEO. "I am forever grateful to the donors, funding institutions, and audiences who have supported the artistic innovation we have been able to foster, and I am incredibly proud of every single person who has been part of this organization and the work they have all done to inspire artists and audiences alike to reimagine this beautiful art form."

PC: Jonno Rattman/The New York Times