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CURRENT/NEXT PRODUCTION “The Tyrant,” a contemporary opera by composer Paul Dresher A Schubert and Rachmaninoff program at the orchestra Festival of American roots music “My Lady,” a work by Jimmy Gamonet de Los Heros Mozart celebration at the symphony; “Magic Flute” at the opera “Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli” in Santa Fe “Journey to the Highlands of Scotland” at the symphony Allentown Pops performance with a jazz band A program of ballets by Balanchine and others. “Swan Lake” in October BIG CHANGE The winter opera season has been discontinued; operas will play from April to October. A health-care industry veteran came in as interim executive director to oversee the transition. The two performance halls will collaborate on a $150 million fund-raising campaign. Maximum Dance’s artistic directors left after Mr. Gamonet assumed top creative control. The opera now uses the symphony’s musicians for all its productions. The group now performs in both cities, providing full-time work for its 11 dancers. To save group funds, opera replaced two planned productions this season with less costly ones. The three companies have agreed not to perform on the same nights or duplicate repertoires. The ballet company is now using practice space in the Utah Opera building for its classes. It’s now promoting other dance companies performing in the area in its subscription brochures. COMMENTS Lyric Opera was a smaller company, while Cleveland Opera did more big-budget productions. The new merged company will do some shows from each. The organizations have combined administrative functions but resisted an outright merger, and keep separate subscriber rosters and musicians. The alliance comes two years after much-publicized merger talks between Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic fizzled. Maximum’s board pushed for the merger, though its artistic directors were apprehensive. The group now primarily performs works by Mr. Gamonet. In response to union concerns that musicians would be laid off in the merger, the company bought out the contracts of some musicians from the opera. The group’s director says it’s been a challenge to get Santa Fe donors to support the organization, in part because of Aspen’s reputation for wealth. The first years following the merger were rocky when the symphony didn’t meet its sales projections and the two groups’ cultures clashed. The groups expect to have a full merger plan in place in the fall. One big issue: There are currently three conductors; the merged group is likely to need only one. Ballet West, which has recently had financial problems, says it’s not now planning a merger, though it considered one in 2002 and wouldn't rule it out in the future. Several partners in a merger have been considered, including the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. For now the ballet says it’s focusing on partnerships, rather than a full merger. Mergers and Partnerships PARTNERS Cleveland Opera/ Lyric Opera Cleveland Philadelphia Orchestra/ Philly Pops Carnegie Hall/ City Center Maximum Dance/ Ballet Gamonet San Diego Symphony/ San Diego Opera Aspen Ballet/ Santa Fe Festival Ballet Utah Symphony/ Utah Opera Allentown Symphony/ Lehigh Valley Chamber Orch./ Pennsylvania Sinfonia Ballet West/ Utah Symphony & Opera Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Possible Future Mergers Team Players With mergers on the rise in the arts world, these cultural institutions are now working in tandem, or thinking about it
