San Diego Opera Announces Staff Reductions

Press release by Edward Wilensky

San Diego, CA (May 23, 2014) – San Diego Opera has announced staff reductions affecting 13 individuals. The Company will be implementing additional cost cutting measures in the following weeks such as pay cuts, moving offices to save at least $400,000 per year in rent, and implementing other economies and efficiencies in its day-to-day business. Each of these steps is consistent with the revised budget in support of the recently announced 2015 season.

“Staff reductions are an unfortunate reality for us, and are especially difficult right now, as every single person at the opera made important contributions to continuing the Company’s operations over the last two months. The San Diego Opera staff is one of the most dedicated group of employees in the business and each person here sacrificed countless hours to ensure our community has an opera company,” shares Keith Fisher, San Diego Opera’s Chief Operations Officer.

“The former business model of San Diego Opera was unsustainable, and this is one of the measures we must implement to make it sustainable. These reductions have nothing to do with performance. Each and every person impacted by these reductions has my personal thanks and gratitude and will be assisted by the Company as much as possible to secure future employment,” adds Carol Lazier, San Diego Opera’s Board President.