New York City Opera Rises From Turmoil
by Jeff Lunden
NPR Music News
November 5, 2009 - Opening night of New York City Opera’s new season is Thursday. A longtime scrappy alternative to the plush Metropolitan Opera, the company has struggled to make a comeback after financial and artistic turmoil.
The New York City Opera makes its home on the plaza of Lincoln Center, right in the shadow of the Metropolitan Opera. But New York Times music critic Anthony Tommasini says there’s always been room for two opera companies in town, because both have been so different…But recently, New York City Opera has fallen on hard times. Last year, there was no season at all. The company closed its theater for a costly renovation. Then, the Belgian impresario hired to lead City Opera, Gerard Mortier, bolted when he couldn’t make his ambitious plans happen. And finally, the stock market — and the opera’s endowment — plummeted. With a $15 million deficit, the company almost closed down.
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