Opera Sustainability: Through Multilevel- Apprenticeship Programs at Opera Companies

By Diego Barbosa-Vásquez

Opera, Orchestra, and Ballet Conductor // Jacobs School of Music, IU // Ostrom Research Awardee

Wednesday, March 2: 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET

This will be a hybrid event. Attend via the Zoom link or in person. 

Limited In Person Seating at 513 N. Park Ave.  Bloomington, IN 47408

*To reserve a seat please email workshop@indiana.edu

Zoom: https://iu.zoom.us/j/2395327669 // https://ostromworkshop.indiana.edu/events/research-series/index.html

Opera Sustainability: Through Multilevel- Apprenticeship Programs at Opera Companies

Opera is a cultural common that benefits humanity at multiple levels. However, its practice has become almost inaccessible to certain populations making the Opera audiences less connected to the art form every day. The Opera is in need of sustainable solutions for its survival. To understand the challenges and possible solutions, the present research is divided into three main components. First, the paper analyzes and describes Opera as an art and as an industry, clarifying its actors/stakeholders, some of their interactions, and the current business model of the Opera. Second, the text describes the problems of the current business and governance models and the hypothesis of the death spiral of the current Opera field. Third, the research explains the solutions that the multilevel-apprenticeship programs could offer to the Opera field and the possibility of implementing them in multiple local arenas with a multidisciplinary approach that involves full Opera actors. Furthermore, the paper enumerates the next steps that could be followed to continue the study in Opera sustainability.

Colombian Maestro Barbosa-Vásquez has been consolidating a prolific international career as Opera, Orchestra, and Ballet Conductor. He is Music Director of The Americas Chamber Orchestra at Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Music Director of the Opera Summer Camp (CASC) at Los Angeles, California, USA; Assistant and Cover Conductor of IU Opera and Ballet Theater and Indiana University Symphony Orchestras. He is a Doctoral Student of Opera, Orchestra, and Ballet Conducting at Jacobs School of Music from Indiana University (USA) as a Scholarship holder of Graduate Tuition Award and Artistic Excellence Award. In addition, Maestro Barbosa-Vasquez is a proud Research Awardee of the Ostrom Workshop doing research on Opera Sustainability.

Official Information at: https://ostromworkshop.indiana.edu/pdf/announcements/2022spr-res/03-02-diego.pdf

*For access to the paper in advance and more information about the Ostrom Research Series, please visit: https://ostromworkshop.indiana.edu/events/research-series/index.html

Opera Sustainability is a Research in process since 2019 for:

- The Ostrom Workshop Economic Nobel Prize Winners Scholars, Experts in Sustainability at different fields.

***Diego Barbosa-Vásquez was selected as 2021-2022 Research Awardee to perform Opera Sustainability research with the support of the Ostrom Workshop and its worldwide scholars.

- Dissertation for Doctor of Music in Opera and Orchestra Conducting Degree from Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Doctoral Minors in Music Theory and Arts Administration ( https://music.indiana.edu/degrees-programs/areas-of-study/orchestral-conducting.html )

For more Information about the research please visit: https://www.barbosavasquez.com/single-post/opera-sustainability-by-diego-barbosa-vasquez