Individual Giving Makes It All Possible
Opera has powerful stories to tell and glorious music that brings us together. Something magical happens when the lights go down in the theater, as we share the same experience in real time and emerge connected to each other, despite our differences.
Bringing these stories to the stage requires considerable financial support. Ticket sales can only pay for 25% of the cost of producing opera, due to the sheer number of people involved. Over 200 people work on a typical production, all of whom are paid, thus ensuring that we help maintain the livelihood of the many local artists and artisans who are part of our community.
Please consider becoming a partner in everything we do by making a tax-deductible donation. Now, more than ever, music matters in our world. Thank you for helping us share it.
Here are three simple ways to give.
1. Gifts of cash. Mail a check to Madison Opera at 335 W. Mifflin Street, Madison, WI 53703, call us at (608) 238-8085, or donate online. You can also set up monthly credit card charges, spreading out your gift over the course of a year and accruing the benefits to your annual giving level.
2. Gifts of securities. Transfer stock or other securities directly from your brokerage account to ours. Please call or have your broker call the Madison Opera office for our account information.
3. IRA Rollover Gifts. If you are 70 1/2 or older, you can make tax-free charitable gifts directly from your Individual Retirement Account to us; please consult your financial advisor for more information.
Thank you!
Benefits of Giving
Benefits of Giving
- Recognition in Madison Opera playbills
- Invitation to annual Meet the Studio Artists Recital
Benefits listed above plus
- Invitation to annual backstage tour
- Invitations to one Opening Night reception per season
Benefits listed above plus
- Complimentary reserved parking for Madison Opera performances
- Invitations to all Opening Night receptions
- Tickets to one final dress rehearsal per season
Benefits listed above plus
- Invitation to private summer party featuring Opera in the Park artists
- Tickets to all final dress rehearsals
- Complimentary beverages at Madison Opera performances
Benefits listed above plus
- Invitation to the President’s Dinner at the Madison Opera Center
- Option to host private reception during Overture Hall productions
Benefits listed above plus
- Invitation to final rehearsal room run-through of an opera
- Option for production sponsorship
Corporate Giving
Business support for Madison Opera is a crucial piece of our success. Our corporate partners show the community they believe in the importance of the arts and the cultural life of our region, gaining their loyal patronage.
Sponsorships begin at $5,000 and can help support an individual opera production, Opera in the Park, or any of our youth or adult education programs. We provide a custom set of benefits and promotional opportunities for you, your clients, and your employees.
Advertising
Madison Opera offers a variety of advertising opportunities in our playbills, reaching over 15,000 people over the course of the season. Whether your target market is Opera in the Park or our theater audiences, we have a number of options.
Planned Giving
Leave a lasting legacy.
Since 1961, Madison Opera has been sharing the excitement of opera with our community through the production of a broad operatic repertoire, Opera in the Park, student matinees, previews in retirement communities and online, and much more. Our programming has grown and evolved over our lifetime, and we know it will continue to do so as both our community and opera itself evolve.
Planned giving through your estate will help ensure this tradition of excellence continues into the future, both onstage and through our extensive engagement programs. Your gift will touch thousands in meaningful ways for years to come.
If you plan to include or have already included Madison Opera in your estate plan, please let us know. We are honored to recognize our generous supporters as members of The Encore Society in our playbill and at a very special dinner in the Madison Opera Center every year.
The Madison Opera Foundation
Established in 2001, the Madison Opera Foundation is an important part of Madison Opera’s financial structure. Managed by a board of directors, it oversees several funds, including the Madison Opera Endowment (for gifts given in perpetuity), the Madison Opera Reserve, and several donor-designated funds.
For information on the Foundation, please contact Madison Opera at 608.238.8085.
Volunteer
We need your help!
Opera in the Park
Opera in the Park
Every year we rely on over 100 volunteers to help make Opera in the Park a success. Opera in the Park 2025 will be held on July 19, 2025 in Garner Park, and we would love to have you join us! We have a wide variety of tasks available, including set-up, clean-up, helping with parking, selling light sticks, and handing out programs. Check back in spring 2025 for volunteer sign-up.
Supernumeraries
Supernumeraries
A supernumerary is a non-speaking, non-singing role in an opera. Roles vary from production to production, but can include soldiers, waiters, and everything in between. Click below for more information and to submit a “super questionnaire.”
