Opera Saratoga
Opera Saratoga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit opera company in Saratoga Springs, NY, producing opera, musical theater, and concerts for the Capital and lower Adirondack regions of New York, alongside an artist training program, school education tours, and community engagement programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1962
- HeadquartersSaratoga Springs, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Opera Saratoga does
Opera Saratoga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit opera company headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York, founded in 1962 as the Lake George Opera Festival Association, Inc. The organization produces opera and musical theater performances, concerts, and educational programs for the Capital Region and lower Adirondack regions of New York State. Now in its 65th anniversary season under General and Artistic Director Mary Birnbaum (appointed 2023), the company performs its mainstage summer festival at Universal Preservation Hall, a 500-seat intimate theater in downtown Saratoga Springs, and tours additional productions to partner venues across New York State and western Massachusetts.
The company's core product portfolio consists of four mainstage summer productions (in 2026: My Fair Lady, The Elixir of Love, the world-premiere workshop of DRIFT, and the Glimmerglass co-production Happy End); the Festival Artist Program — the second-oldest singer training program in the United States, training approximately 20 emerging singers, conductors, directors, and pianists each summer with weekly stipends, housing, and mainstage role exposure; an Education Tour since 1982 that brings a 30-minute adapted opera to over 30 schools and reaches nearly 20,000 children annually at $750 per school; and the Songs by Heart therapeutic music program delivering interactive sing-alongs to memory care patients with Alzheimer's and dementia. Underlying technology is production-focused: projected supertitles for accessibility, a piano/electronics hybrid for contemporary works, and standard digital infrastructure (Squarespace Commerce for donations/ticketing, Constant Contact for email, Proctors Collaborative and Eventbrite for ticketing, Venmo for peer-to-peer giving). No APIs, SDKs, or proprietary technology platforms are disclosed.
Opera Saratoga's business model is donor-dependent: more than 75% of its annual budget is funded through individual contributions, memberships (Friend $150+, Supporter $500+, Visionary $1,000+, Artist Sponsor $3,000+, Producing Champion $25,000+), corporate sponsorships ($2,500-$25,000+ tiers), and foundation grants (NYSCA, NEA, Touba Foundation, JM-McDonald Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, New Music USA, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs). Earned revenue is sourced from single ticket sales ($20-$66 per ticket), subscriptions, the Education Tour ($750 per school, with 2027 early-bird pricing at $650), and special-event programming (Pasta & Puccini, Sip & Sing, Cocktails and Caftans, the 65th Anniversary Opera Gala at Saratoga National Golf Club). The customer base is segmented across opera patrons, K-12 schools, memory care facilities, corporate sponsors, and emerging artists. Operations run on a small core administrative staff of approximately five people supplemented by ~20 seasonal Festival Artists and production personnel; total annual audience reach is 25,000+.
Opera Saratoga firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Opera Saratoga
- Legal name
- The Lake George Opera Festival Association, Inc.
- Website
- https://operasaratoga.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1962
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Opera Saratoga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit opera company in Saratoga Springs, NY, producing opera, musical theater, and concerts for the Capital and lower Adirondack regions of New York, alongside an artist training program, school education tours, and community engagement programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Opera Saratoga industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Opera & Operetta (MPAGABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)
Keywords
Where Opera Saratoga is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saratoga Springs
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices14 records
Markets served
Opera Saratoga business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual performance tickets, subscriptions, and group sales for mainstage productions, special events, and education performances.
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible contributions through various membership levels (Friend $150+, Supporter $500+, Visionary $1000+, Artist Sponsor $3000+, Producing Champion $25000+) and one-time donations. EIN 13-2505803.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Program advertising starting at $350, Corporate Sponsorships at $2500+, Special Event Sponsorships at $5000+, Production Sponsorships at $10000+, and Mainstage Production Sponsorships at $25000+.
- Education Tour Fees: Schools pay $750 for the education tour performance including lesson plan, performance, and rehearsal invitation. Early bird pricing available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time | Education Tour Performance - $750 |
| Unit Pricing | One time | DRIFT General Admission - $25 |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Capital Region Composers Concert - $20 |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Cocktails and Caftans Event - $65.87 |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Sip & Sing Happy Hours - $55 advance, $65 at door |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - Friend Level $150+ |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - Supporter Level $500+ |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - Visionary Level $1000+ |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - Artist Sponsor $3000+ |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - Producing Champion $25000+ |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Program Advertising - starting at $350 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | Corporate Sponsorship - $2500+ |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | Special Event Sponsor - $5000+ |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | Production Sponsor (DRIFT or Happy End) - $10000+ |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | Mainstage Production Sponsor - $25000+ |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Opera Saratoga product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Opera Saratoga produces and presents opera and musical theater performances, concerts, and educational programs for diverse audiences. Its primary offerings include an annual summer festival of fully staged operas at Universal Preservation Hall, the Festival Artist Program (the second-oldest singer training program in the United States), an Education Tour delivering adapted opera productions to schools, and the Songs by Heart therapeutic music program for individuals with Alzheimer's and dementia.
Product overview
Opera Saratoga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit opera company founded in 1962 as Lake George Opera, now in its 65th season. The organization offers a unified portfolio of performing arts programs: mainstage opera and musical theater productions at Universal Preservation Hall and regional venues; the nationally-recognized Festival Artist Program (the second-oldest singer training program in the country) providing emerging artists with performance, coaching, and career development opportunities; and extensive community engagement programs including an Education Tour delivering staged operas to schools, the Songs by Heart therapeutic music program for dementia patients, Sip & Sing happy hours, Family Shows, and special events including gala, Juneteenth celebration, and Rodgers & Hammerstein cabarets. The 2026 season features four mainstage productions—My Fair Lady, The Elixir of Love, the workshop premiere of DRIFT, and Happy End in partnership with Glimmerglass Festival—alongside the education tour (The Magic Flute), community concerts, and therapeutic programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Summer Festival Mainstage Productions Annual summer festival featuring fully staged operas and musicals at Universal Preservation Hall (500-seat intimate venue with audience on three sides) and touring venues across New York State. The 2026 season includes My Fair Lady, The Elixir of Love (Donizetti), the workshop premiere of DRIFT, and Happy End. Tickets sold to individual opera patrons and subscribers.
- Festival Artist Program The second-oldest singer training program in the United States, offering emerging opera singers, conductors, directors, and pianists opportunities to perform in mainstage productions, participate in concerts, recitals, master classes, and career development through industry auditions. Approximately 20 rising opera stars participate each summer.
- Education Tour Program Touring opera productions for schools including lesson plans, teacher study guides, professionally staged performances, post-show Q&A sessions, and rehearsal invitations. The 2026 tour features a 30-minute adaptation of The Magic Flute. Schools pay $750 for the education tour performance, reaching nearly 20,000 children annually across 30+ schools and venues.
- Songs by Heart
Quantifiable outcome
- Reaches more than 25,000 people annually through performances and programs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Opera Saratoga
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Opera Saratoga technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
Feature3 records
Opera Saratoga partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Glimmerglass FestivalcoreHistoric New York State partnership for co-production of Kurt Weill's Happy End. Opera Saratoga Artistic & General Director Robert Ainsley serves as music director. The collaboration brings opera to individual communities throughout the state, focusing on sustainability and building new audiences for opera.
- Universal Preservation HallcoreMain performance venue for Opera Saratoga's summer festival. 500-seat intimate theater with audience on three sides, described as having the intimacy of a European opera house. All mainstage productions run June 20-28.
- Proctors CollaborativecorePrimary ticketing partner for mainstage productions and special events. Manages online ticket sales through secure.proctorscollaborative.org platform.
- Excelsior Springs Event CenterminorVenue partner for Pasta & Puccini special events featuring Italian cuisine paired with opera performances.
- Franklin Square MarketminorVenue partner for 5-Course Italian Wine Dinner event combining culinary experiences with opera performances.
- Saratoga ArtsminorVenue for Festival Artist Portrait Concert series featuring 20 rising opera stars.
- Saratoga National Golf ClubminorVenue partner for 65th Anniversary Opera Gala celebration.
- The Mansion of SaratogaminorPerennial favorite venue for Rodgers & Hammerstein concert performances.
- Hudson HallminorTouring venue for Happy End performances in Hudson, NY.
- Troy Savings Bank Music HallminorTouring venue for Happy End performances in Troy, NY.
- Seagle FestivalminorTouring venue for Happy End performances in Schroon Lake, NY.
- Finger Lakes OperaminorTouring venue for Happy End performances in Rochester, NY.
- The ClarkminorTouring venue for Happy End performances in Williamstown, MA.
- The SembrichminorVenue partner for Juneteenth Event 'When Marian Sang' celebrating Marian Anderson in Bolton Landing, NY.
- Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC)minorHistorical partner for opera productions including Madama Butterfly in SPAC's outdoor amphitheater.
- Caffè LenaminorHistoric Saratoga venue for AMERICA SINGS concert series highlighting BIPOC artists who have been historically underrepresented on the opera stage.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Opera Saratoga competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sarasota Opera: Winter opera festival in Sarasota, Florida operating a multi-month season. Comparable as a regional festival-format opera company with similar production scale, education programs, and community engagement scope.
- Central City Opera: Summer festival opera company in Central City, Colorado founded in 1932. Comparable as a long-running regional summer opera festival producing a mix of standard and contemporary works, with strong artist development programs.
- Florentine Opera: Regional opera company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin producing a mainstage season plus education and community programs. Comparable mid-size nonprofit opera company with similar education-tour and community-outreach programming.
- Arizona Opera: Statewide opera company serving multiple Arizona cities with mainstage productions and education programs. Comparable as a nonprofit opera company combining mainstage seasons with extensive touring education programs.
- Wolf Trap Opera: Summer opera festival and artist-training program at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Virginia. Closely comparable as a festival-format opera company with a prominent young-artist training program.
- Glimmerglass Festival: Year-round opera festival in Cooperstown, NY producing a summer season plus education programs. Direct peer as a fellow New York State opera company and current co-production partner on Happy End, with similar summer-festival cadence and emerging-artist mission.
Broad incumbents
- Santa Fe Opera: Renowned summer opera festival in Santa Fe, New Mexico known for contemporary American works and artist training. Comparable festival format and commitment to new American repertoire, but operates at significantly larger scale and budget.
Regional players
- Seagle Festival: Summer opera and music theater festival in Schroon Lake, NY. Comparable as a small NY State summer festival producing opera and musicals with emerging artists; one of the touring venues for Opera Saratoga's Happy End.
- Finger Lakes Opera: Regional opera company based in Rochester, NY producing a summer festival season. Comparable as another New York State regional opera touring partner and similar in scale and repertoire mix.
Emerging players
- On Site Opera: NYC-based opera company producing site-specific and intimate-venue performances. Comparable mission of expanding opera access beyond traditional houses, though more focused on non-traditional venues than Opera Saratoga's festival model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Opera Saratoga social profiles
Digital presenceOpera Saratoga compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Opera Saratoga financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Opera Saratoga leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Opera Saratoga funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Opera Saratoga M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Opera Saratoga
What does Opera Saratoga do?
Opera Saratoga produces and presents opera and musical theater performances, concerts, and educational programs for diverse audiences. Its primary offerings include an annual summer festival of fully staged operas at Universal Preservation Hall, the Festival Artist Program (the second-oldest singer training program in the United States), an Education Tour delivering adapted opera productions to schools, and the Songs by Heart therapeutic music program for individuals with Alzheimer's and dementia.
Is Opera Saratoga a public or private company?
Opera Saratoga is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Opera Saratoga founded?
Opera Saratoga was founded in 1962. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Opera Saratoga based?
Opera Saratoga is headquartered in Saratoga Springs, United States, in the North America region.
How does Opera Saratoga make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, corporate Sponsorships and education Tour Fees.
Who are Opera Saratoga's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sarasota Opera, Central City Opera, Florentine Opera, Arizona Opera, Wolf Trap Opera and Glimmerglass Festival. Santa Fe Opera is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Seagle Festival and Finger Lakes Opera. On Site Opera is listed as an emerging player.
Does Opera Saratoga have an API?
No public API is recorded for Opera Saratoga.
What industry is Opera Saratoga in?
Opera Saratoga's product category is Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAF, Opera & Operetta, with a secondary code of MPAGABAG, Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe). Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7900.