Opera on the James has received a $1 million donation.
David Neumeyer, president of the board of directors, said they received word about the anonymous donation in December and announced it during a fundraiser on Saturday.
This is the area’s second anonymous donation in the past month. In December, the Academy of Fine Arts’ Cornerstone Campaign, which is overseeing renovations of the historic Academy of Music Theatre, also received $1 million.
Most of the Opera on the James money, probably 80 percent, will be invested, using the interest and dividends as long-term sources of income, he said. The organization’s annual operating budget is $300,000.
The rest will go toward infrastructure needs, like office equipment and staffing.
“We’ll also use it to help grow our audience by starting to reach out and take performances out to surrounding cities,” Neumeyer said.
Opera on the James was formed in January 2005, when a group of local opera lovers started meeting every month to discuss how the genre could be more actively promoted and performed in Central Virginia.
Volunteer board members do a lot of the work, and the only paid staff members are a part-time artistic director and administrator. Changing the administrator position into a full-time job could make all the difference, Neumeyer said.
“There’s a lot that needs to be done when you’re a performing arts organization,” he said.
Neumeyer called the donation “thrilling, not only what the gift will allow us to do, but also an affirmation of the quality of work we’ve been doing.”
Opera on the James’ next production will be Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. April 3 and 3 p.m. April 5 in the Academy of Fine Arts Warehouse Theatre.
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