According to The Dallas Opera Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO Ian Derrer,
First of all, I would like to thank Jeanne Prejean for this opportunity to speak to her loyal readers on why the arts deserve your support.
Arts organizations exist to do one thing: enrich the lives of other people. If we cannot create, exhibit, or perform, we risk losing our identity and purpose. However, it’s also clear that performing in person is out of the question, until we can guarantee the safety of our patrons, artists, musicians and stagehands.
The solution? It’s as close as your phone: TDO Network, a host of original online programs developed by and for the most fascinating men and women working in opera today.
With the help of The Dallas Opera’s top-notch social media team and the enthusiastic support of artists around the globe, the new TDO Network is creating dynamic, interactive platforms to explore the major issues of our time—from the impact of this pandemic to the quest for equity and diversity. The network also plays host to live-streamed recitals and intimate interviews with classical music’s brightest stars.
It doesn’t stop there. We are also discovering imaginative new ways to bring arts education “home” and have partnered with media outlets like WRR-FM to put you in the best seat in the house to enjoy the finest performances in The Dallas Opera archives.
This multifaceted approach has enabled TDO Network to attract some of the highest audience numbers of any opera company on the planet. In the past month alone, more than seven million people connected with The Dallas Opera and TDO Network through Facebook, while others experienced TDO on Instagram and our Dallas Opera YouTube Channel.
Although the majority of our viewers are right here in DFW, we have impressive (and growing) audiences in New York City, Mexico City, Paris and other international capitals, enabling us to promote the performing arts in Dallas to a younger and more diverse demographic than ever before.
The Dallas Opera has also devised a digital version of our popular “Kids Opera Boot Camp.” Five full episodes are available—free of charge—to students, parents and teachers at dallasopera.org.
But clicks and downloads are simply not enough. The success of these groundbreaking initiatives and the coming 2020-2021 Season relies on your continuing support. To deal with the impact of lost revenues and to keep our doors open for a thrilling new season scheduled to begin in March, we established The Dallas Opera Emergency Relief (DOER) Fund: https://secure.dallasopera.org/donate/i/doer.
Your gifts to the DOER Fund will ensure that hardworking TDO artists and staff will have the resources they need to bring you world-class live opera and continue to provide enriching digital programs through the TDO Education Portal and TDO Network.
The future is now. Please give generously today.
* Graphic courtesy of The Dallas Opera