A vibrant new partnership has already begun in several different areas, with more to come as the collaboration grows. Student-focused initiatives will be prioritized within the new partnership.

Innovative new operas that receive world premiere performances in Philadelphia will be heard by a much larger audience and college students will gain unique and valuable experiences thanks to a unique partnership between Temple University and Opera Philadelphia. 

Temple and the Opera recently signed an agreement to explore potential collaborations that harness the strengths and resources of both organizations. Student-focused initiatives will be prioritized within the partnership, with Temple students across multiple schools gaining real-world experience with both non-profit, and innovative entrepreneurial models, bolstered by Opera Philadelphia’s vibrant network of artists and professionals. 

The partners have established multiple areas of collaboration with the ability to add more as the partnership grows. Specifically through BCM&D Records, the record label of Temple's Boyer College of Music and Dance that has earned five Grammy nominations, they will work to produce and release recordings of new operas that showcase artistic innovation and expand the genre. 

Together, the organizations also plan to create opportunities for student entrepreneurship, specifically focusing on arts marketing and administration experiences where students from the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts will be tasked with helping to create storytelling content to drive audience engagement for Opera Philadelphia. A broad range of Opera Philadelphia visiting artists will work directly with Temple students, sharing their insights behind the professional creative process. 

“We are delighted to partner with Opera Philadelphia as they are a renowned American opera company and a prime example of what a modern opera should aspire to be,” said Temple President John Fry. "Our Voice and Opera students as well as the entire Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts will benefit from this new partnership, which also aligns closely with the priorities of Temple’s recently released strategic plan, Forward with Purpose. Through partnerships like this one, we are creating a connected educational and cultural landscape in Center City, which benefits not just the Temple and Opera Philadelphia communities but the City of Philadelphia as a whole.” 

“The visionary way Temple approaches creating opportunities for their students represents the forward-facing, multi-disciplinary training that leads to real success. I see so many points of intersection with our ‘Opera, but different’ way of doing things,” said Anthony Roth Costanzo, General Director & President of Opera Philadelphia. “This partnership generates synergies that support students and artists alike, and simultaneously can build new audiences for the arts—by providing students real-world opportunities to engage with the creative process and learn alongside some of today’s most innovative performers and creators at a crucial stage of their education. This partnership builds on Opera Philadelphia’s many recent collaborations from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the Four Seasons Hotel to the Wanamaker Building. As our reach, venues, and performance opportunities continue to grow, I am excited to find opportunities to bring to bear the incredible talent Temple students have to offer and help show it to the city and the world. Any Owls fan would surely agree that it will be a hoot. 

Together, Temple and Opera Philadelphia have already partnered to record the “remarkably successful” February world premiere of Complications in Sue, the heralded opera created by 10 composers with a libretto by Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright Michael R. Jackson in his operatic debut and starring MacArthur Genius and cabaret icon Justin Vivian Bond. In April, they will record Sleepers Awake, a dream-like rendering of the fairytale “Sleeping Beauty” by composer Gregory Spears at the historic Academy of Music. Both recordings will be released through BCM&D Records. 

Established in 1975, Opera Philadelphia has been called “the very model of a modern opera company” by the Washington Post and its commitment to developing opera for the 21st century has led recognition as “a hotbed of operatic innovation” by the New York Times.  

The new collaboration between Temple and Opera Philadelphia will be on display throughout April during both the rehearsal process and the performances of Sleepers Awake. Temple students will be able to take part in master classes hosted by the cast and creative team of the production. There will also be opportunities for students to sit in on key aspects of the rehearsal process. 

“Our students will benefit tremendously from the unique experiences provided by this partnership with Opera Philadelphia. To start, voice students will have opportunities to engage in master classes, attend rehearsals to see developing new productions, and even cover small roles with the company, while some of our music technology students will gain hands-on experiences in producing live recordings. This opens up new possibilities and provides key engagements with a groundbreaking opera company,” said Robert Stroker, vice provost for the arts and Joslyn G. Ewart Dean of Temple’s Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts. 

The partnership between Temple and Opera Philadelphia is the latest example of Temple’s commitment to the arts and cultural vibrancy of Philadelphia. Last year, the university acquired Terra Hall, which previously served as the main academic building for the University of the Arts, and the Boyer College of Music and Dance will have a strong presence there. 

“We can’t wait to have Temple as a neighbor inside Terra Hall,” Costanzo said. “We’re already exploring how Opera Philadelphia can help activate Terra Hall on South Broad, bringing more life, a broader public, and multi-disciplinary opportunities into the space.” 

Additionally, just last month, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts and Temple signed an MOU to explore a partnership that would include artist residencies and master classes; expanded student internships, fellowships and experiential learning opportunities; and additional pre-K–12 arts education programming. 

This came on the heels of Temple and its Tyler School of Art and Architecture beginning a partnership with the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) that will see Tyler and PAFA launch new programs and create a new “critic-in-residence" program. A merger between Temple and the Library Company of Philadelphia was also approved by Temple’s Board of Trustees in December. Coincidentally, the Library Company’s home on Locust Street is located just over a block away from Opera Philadelphia’s headquarters.  

Moving forward, both Temple and Opera Philadelphia will work closely to explore further opportunities for collaboration.  

“This partnership also very much supports our vision for a multidimensional innovation and cultural corridor,” Fry said. “We will not accomplish our goal of creating a dynamic and vibrant environment along the Avenue of the Arts on our own. That goal will only be achieved with the help of partners like Opera Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Orchestra & Ensemble Arts, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. We look forward to working with all these organizations to amplify our impact in this city.”