Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor –

Opera San Antonio (OSA) has a bunch of good news to share with San Antonio. For the first time in its five-year history, the young company will have an additional “winter performance” this coming Valentine’s Day, to keep opera lovers happy during the longish period between the two major fall and spring productions. The chosen work, Vincenzo Bellini’s Capulets and Montagues, is a less known version of the Romeo-and-Juliet tale, probably the best-known fictional lovers in the world. The opera will be presented in concert format at the Luella Bennack Music Center on the campus of the Incarnate Word University.

 Antony Walker, artistic director of the Washington Concert Opera, will lead the cast and serve as conductor. Instead of a full orchestra, the singers will be accompanied by an ensemble of nine musicians, including the Agarita Chamber Players. (Feb. 13 and 15 at 7:30 p.m.; University of the Incarnate World’s Luella Bennack Music Center; tickets: www.tobincenter.org/box-office/2020-02/capulets-and-montagues)

OSA was also pleased to receive a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts through its Art Works funding category. Though not nearly sufficient to cover the cost of a fully staged production, “It’s an affirmation from NEA of our work in general,” said board chair Blair Labatt. It costs closer to $600,000 to produce a grand classical opera, he noted. Verdi’s Rigoletto will be such a production in May of this year.

But the most important good news for opera lovers is that OSA now has in place a very capable artistic team to lead it into the future. Respected opera director Loren Meeker was recently named general and artistic director of the company, and conductor Francesco Milioto was appointed as OSA’s first music director. Both have worked on previous productions here.

“I think it’s important for a community to be exposed to opera,” said Labatt. “It’s a civic undertaking for the entire city, not just for current opera fans. When people become familiar with this beautiful art form, they find it very moving.”

In his “Message from the Chairman” on OSA’s website, Labatt quoted William Faulkner who, in his Nobel Prize speech, stated that “Great art must always be about the human heart in conflict with itself.” To which Labatt added: “That is what opera is.” And, may we add, it’s all set to grand and glorious music. (More about the upcoming shows and OSA in an upcoming article)

Another local arts organization, Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival, is also expanding, in a way that it might not have expected. Officials announced that it will be merging with the Artist Foundation of San Antonio, known for giving grants to individual artists  for the creation of new and original works in several artistic categories. Luminaria’s executive director, Kathy Armstrong, said that the entire Artist Foundation’s program will become known as the Luminaria Artist Foundation.

In 2020, grants of $10,000 each will be given in three categories: visual, literary arts and performing arts. Artists can apply for award funds from Jan. 15 to Feb. 19, and two information sessions are planned for Sunday, Jan. 26 at noon and Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the Hemisfair’s Schultze House, 615 E. Nueva St. Most of the available monies at this point come from city coffers but the new entity is hoping that other donors would soon join the effort.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to further build the creative city,” said Armstrong. “We want artists to apply for the support and we want funders to give new money.”

But there’s sad news, too. The presenting organization, Arts San Antonio has closed shop for good after nearly 30 years of operation. The board of directors posted a terse statement on the nonprofit’s website.

“Unfortunately, events have made it impossible to continue our operations.The abrupt departure of our executive director, a significant shift in charitable funding and increased competition in the city for arts dollars, have caused us irreversible financial hardship and we can no longer continue to exist.”

All events have been cancelled and patrons are told not to expect refunds for the tickets they bought.

Arts San Antonio brought to town artists and ensembles from all over the world, many of them the best of what their countries had to offer, as well as innovative American performers who explored new forms of dance, music, theater and performance. It will be missed.