The Glimmerglass Festival has launched a fundraising campaign “to support the future of the Festival as an international destination and training ground for the next generation of performers and production professionals,” according to a news release from the organization.
“Destined to Glimmerglass: The 50th Anniversary Campaign” has raised $4.1 million toward a $5 million goal, the release stated.
“We are both moved and awestruck by the generosity that donors from across the country have committed to help usher in our visionary future,” said Robert Ainsley, artistic and general director. “There is nothing and nowhere quite like Glimmerglass. It is a destination in every sense of the word.”
“The Festival is an invaluable asset to our region, the United States, and the world of opera. This campaign ensures that our company can continue to lead, teach, and innovate for years to come,” he said.
The fundraising effort will empower the festival to expand the range of works being staged, according to the release. “Glimmerglass is a place where lesser-known and new productions are staged alongside canonical works of opera. Through the Youth Opera and Project Pipeline, Glimmerglass provides a stage for performances that might otherwise go unseen,” the release stated.
In 2025, the festival will produce the world premiere of “The House on Mango Street,” a musical adaptation of Sandra Cisneros’ novel. “Glimmerglass is synonymous with collaboration and innovation,” Ainsley said. “Every year, we’re creating new opportunities and models for this industry. By incubating new works, mentoring young artists and technicians, and creating pathways for youth performers, we’re making the stage and the genre more accessible for professionals and audiences alike.”
According to the release, the campaign will support the continued development of new work as well as the festival’s training and apprenticeship programs. “At Glimmerglass, artists and technicians enjoy the space, time, mentorship and freedom to develop their craft at the highest level. Audiences get a front-row seat to never-before-seen productions staged by the most exciting new talent in the industry,” the release stated.
Cooperstown resident Allison Hill-Edgar, a Glimmerglass Board of Trustees member and campaign co-chair, said her son began participating in the youth opera at 13 and now performs on the festival’s mainstage. “I’ve gotten to see firsthand how Glimmerglass creates a nurturing space for young performers,” she said. “The commitment to youth and community is a huge part of why the Festival has grown both in size and influence. Our young artists have gone on to do amazing things on and behind the stages of world opera.”
“The creatives that get their start at Glimmerglass go on to influence their community, both here in Cooperstown and around the country,” she said.
“We are so lucky to have Glimmerglass in Cooperstown,” said Michael Young, board chair and campaign co-chair. “I feel a responsibility to support and champion this Festival that has given so much to the town, the economy, and to opera lovers everywhere.”
“There is a feeling here that I haven’t seen replicated anywhere else,” Young said. “I’m behind this campaign because we want to share the Glimmerglass experience with as many people as possible, both today and for the next 50 years.”
“Opera tells human stories in a profound, grand, emotional way,” Ainsley added. “The Glimmerglass Festival brings audiences from around the world into the heart of those stories. For 50 years, Glimmerglass has been a stage for emerging creatives. This campaign will create new opportunities to celebrate the voices and perspectives that make us human.”
Tickets to the 50th anniversary season, which begins in July and includes productions of “Sunday in the Park with George,” “The Rake’s Progress,” “Tosca,” and “Odyssey,” are now on sale. For more information, visit www.glimmerglass.org/campaign.