What Opera Fort Collins does

Opera Fort Collins is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization (EIN 84-1183179) founded in 1979 and based in Fort Collins, Colorado. It produces fully staged professional opera performances, concerts, and educational outreach programs serving the Northern Colorado community and Front Range region. Its core offering is an annual mainstage season — currently Season 47, themed "Celebrating American Stories" — performed with the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra in venues including the Masonic Temple and Bas Bleu Theatre, accompanied by English supertitles for accessibility.

The organization supplements its mainstage productions with a portfolio of community and educational programs. These include Opera A La Carte (K-5 outreach), the Collaborative After School Musical (grades 3-8), the OFC Apprentice Artist program for CSU Master in Vocal Arts students, the OFC Chorus directed by Chorus Master Dr. Gerald Holbrook, Career Paths Artists Zoom clinics, and a tiered donor program ranging from Friends ($1+) to Underwriter ($10,000+). Operational technology is limited to standard nonprofit tooling: ThunderTix for ticketing and donations, Constant Contact for email communications, and Google Forms for audition submissions.

Revenue is generated through three streams: ticket sales (acknowledged to cover only a fraction of expenses), tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors, and grants from organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, Fort Collins Fort Fund, and the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Mark Lubas (joined July 2025), Artistic Director Steven Aguiló-Arbues (since August 2022), and Director of Outreach Jane Haycraft. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Opera Fort Collins

Legal name

Opera Fort Collins

Website

https://operafortcollins.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Opera Fort Collins is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization in Fort Collins, Colorado, producing professional opera seasons, educational outreach for K-8 students, and community programs for Northern Colorado audiences and donors since 1979.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Opera & Operetta (MPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Opera performances
• Performing arts nonprofit
• Arts education outreach
• Opera season subscriptions
• Community chorus programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Ticket sales for opera performances and concerts. The organization notes that ticket sales cover only a fraction of expenses.
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit (EIN 84-1183179).
3. Gift Certificates: OFC Gift Certificates sold for any denomination, redeemable for performances. Never expire.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Opera Fort Collins is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that presents fully staged professional opera productions in original languages with English supertitles, accompanied by the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra. Its current mainstage offering is Season 47, "Celebrating American Stories," supplemented by year-round K-8 educational outreach (Opera A La Carte and the Collaborative After School Musical), Career Paths Artists Zoom clinics for students, an Apprentice Artist program with Colorado State University, and the OFC community Chorus. The organization also sells tiered gift certificates and accepts tax-deductible donations at multiple giving levels.

Product overview

Opera Fort Collins is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization presenting professional opera productions and community engagement programs. The core offering is its mainstage opera season (currently Season 47: Celebrating American Stories), supplemented by educational outreach programs (Opera A La Carte for K-5 students, Collaborative After School Musical C.A.S.M. for grades 3-8, and Career Paths Artists zoom clinics), the Apprentice Artist program for CSU vocal arts students, the OFC Chorus for community singers, tiered donor programs, volunteer opportunities, and gift certificates. Productions range from fully staged operas to concert versions and arias concerts with gala events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Season 47: Celebrating American Stories The 47th annual mainstage opera season presenting professional productions that celebrate American stories and narratives for Northern Colorado audiences.
• Opera Productions Fully staged and abbreviated opera performances presented in original languages with English supertitles, drawn from seasons 1-46 of repertoire including Carmen, La Boheme, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, Susannah, Dido and Aeneas, The Marriage of Figaro, La Vida Breve, Don Pasquale, Trouble in Tahiti, and The Fantasticks.
• Opera A La Carte K-5 educational outreach program featuring Artist in Residence Soprano Jane Haycraft, providing interactive lessons on opera elements, classical singing demonstrations, and culminating mini-opera performances such as The Sleeping Princess or A Heroes Tale for elementary school students.
• Collaborative After School Musical (C.A.S.M.) After-school program in which classroom music teachers work with OFC's Artist in Residence to plan, produce, and perform mini operas. Repertoire includes The Little Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings, Pocketful of Dreams, Heroes, or Cinderella for grades 3-8.
• Career Paths Artists Zoom clinics featuring active professional artists who share their journey as performers, open to high school students, university students, voice studios, and opera enthusiasts.
• OFC Apprentice Artist Program Training program placing Colorado State University Master in Vocal Arts students into comprimario roles alongside hired opera professionals, with apprentices also representing the company in educational outreach programs.
• OFC Chorus Community-wide chorus formally established during Season 31, directed by Chorus Master Dr. Gerald Holbrook, providing ensemble performance opportunities for community singers in mainstage productions.
• Donor Programs Tiered tax-deductible giving programs including Underwriter ($10,000+), Maestro ($5,000+), Curtain Raisers ($1,000+), Benefactor ($750+), Impresario ($500+), Applause ($250+), Club 100 ($100+), and Friends of the Opera ($1+).
• OFC Gift Certificates Gift certificates sold in any denomination, never expiring, and redeemable for any performance presented by Opera Fort Collins.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fort Collins Symphony OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership for orchestral accompaniment during opera performances. Maestro Wes Kenney served as Music Director formalizing this relationship.
• Colorado State University (CSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOFC Apprentice Artist program gives CSU Master in Vocal Arts students opportunity to sing comprimario roles with professional opera artists.
• Open Stage TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProductions ran under auspices of Open Stage Theatre from 1981-1990. Ongoing collaborative relationship as community partner.
• Bas Bleu TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance venue partner for productions including 'The Fantasticks' and other operas.
• University of Northern Colorado (UNC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity sponsor and partner organization.
• Denver Lyric Opera GuildminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrant program supporter and regional opera community partner.
• Opera AmericaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational opera service organization providing resources and recognition.
• KRFC RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal radio station community sponsor.
• KUNCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal public radio station community sponsor.
• Downtown Fort CollinsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDowntown business association community partner.
• Fort Collins Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chamber of commerce business community partner.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Opera Colorado: Regional opera company based in Denver, CO, producing a full season of mainstage operas and educational programs. Direct competitor for Colorado opera patrons, donors, and singers, and the most geographically proximate peer.
• Florentine Opera Company: Regional opera company in Milwaukee, WI, founded in 1933, producing mainstage opera and education programs. Closely comparable in scale, mission, and community-based nonprofit opera model.
• Toledo Opera: Regional opera company in Toledo, OH, producing mainstage productions with educational and community programs. Comparable in scale and in reliance on donations, grants, and volunteer support.
• Dayton Opera: Regional opera company in Dayton, OH, part of the Victoria Theatre Association. Similar operating model with mainstage productions, donor programs, and educational outreach serving a comparable mid-size market.
• Virginia Opera: Regional opera company serving multiple Virginia cities with mainstage productions, educational programs, and community engagement. Similar organizational footprint, multi-venue strategy, and education mission.
• Central City Opera: Historic summer festival opera company in Central City, CO, founded in 1932. Comparable in scale and mission as a Colorado-based regional opera with educational outreach and a focus on developing American singers.
• Indianapolis Opera: Mid-size regional opera company producing mainstage operas, concert events, and educational outreach in a mid-size U.S. metro market. Highly comparable in operating scale, programming mix, and nonprofit funding model.
• Shreveport Opera: Regional opera company in Shreveport, LA, producing mainstage opera and education programs. Closely comparable as a small-to-mid-size regional opera with similar donor/ticket revenue mix.

Broad incumbents

• Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: Nationally recognized opera festival in St. Louis, MO, with a strong new-works focus and artist development programs. Operates at a larger scale than OFC but shares the regional-opera-plus-education mission.
• Lyric Opera of Chicago: Major U.S. opera company and member of Opera America (which OFC also belongs to). Operates at significantly larger scale but represents the broad incumbent that OFC's regional peers benchmark against artistically.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FortOpera

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Opera Fort Collins