“OPERA America has released the Field-Wide Opera Demographic Report 2021, an industry-wide study of issues related to race/ethnicity, gender, and age,” writes Sarah Shay in Thursday’s (7/8) Musical America (subscription required). “The report reflects data gathered in the spring of 2021 from companies representing all five of OPERA America’s membership budget groups. Responding to the survey were 2,700 individuals—1,200 administrative staff and 1,500 trustees—representing 97 U.S. and Canadian opera companies, slightly more than half of the 184 companies invited to participate. The major takeaways from the report include: women hold a majority of administrative positions throughout the industry, although the margin decreases at the senior staff level; one-fifth of opera administrators identify as BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, People of Color], as compared to two-fifths of the U.S. population; nearly 60 percent of administrative staff are under the age of 45, although the percentage decreases to 40 percent for company leadership; opera company boards are relatively even in gender but skew older and are less diverse than company administrators…. This initial research provides benchmarks for understanding the effectiveness of the industry’s efforts to achieve the diversity of the communities they serve.” Read the complete report here.
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