NEWS: as of August 2023 Opera in Williamsburg has a new board of Directors, chaired by Paul Try and working closely with Naama Zahavi-Ely (Founder, President and Artistic and General Director) and Jorge Parodi (Music Director). Naama and Jorge are ex-officio non-voting members of the board.
Opera in Williamsburg, Inc. (OIW) as an Organization
Opera in Williamsburg, Inc. (OIW), as a registered 501(c)(3) corporation, has a Board of Directors (BOD), President, and Advisory Board to support the production of fully-staged opera and related concert productions with a world-class cast and creative team in Williamsburg, Virginia. The organization provides volunteer and fundraising activities in addition to the numerous actions required to produce opera and concert performances. The chart available in this link illustrates the organization and the key supporting persons are listed below.
OIW President, Founder and Artistic Director: Naama Zahavi-Ely
OIW Music Director: Jorge Parodi
OIW Board of Directors
Chair: Paul D. Try
Vice-Chair: Jo Ursini Krantz
Secretary: Kathy Masters
Treasurer: Ken Mitchell
Director: Linda Collins Reilly
Ex-Officio (non-voting):
* Naama Zahavi-Ely, President
(Founder & Artistic Director)
* Jorge Parodi, Music Director
OIW Advisory Board and Event Coordinators:
Chair: Paul D. Try
Teryl (Terry) Backus
Gulay Berryman
Dot Bryant
Michael Bryant
Carolyn Campbell
Sandra Doak
Dan Dutcher
Branch Fields
Nuala Galbari
Clyde Haulman
David Justis
Linda Elkin Kligman (Fundraising Chairperson)
Jo Ursini Krantz
Ken Krantz
Kathy Masters
Betsy Munson
Jorge Parodi (Music Director)
Linda Collins Reilly
Diane Stanley
Naama Zahavi-Ely (President and Artistic and General Director)
Opera in Williamsburg, Inc is a registered non-profit 501(c)3 company, EIN 47-5511655. Donations to Opera in Williamsburg are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. It was confirmed again as a non-profit tax-exempt public charity in December 2022, and its letter of confirmation is available on the IRS list of non-profit organizations, and also on this website. The 990EZ forms for Opera in Williamsburg, Inc. that were submitted to the IRS for 2019, 2020, and 2021 are available on this website and will eventually be on the IRS website.
To send donations, please mail a check made out to "Opera in Williamsburg, Inc" to PO Box 2041, Williamsburg, VA 23187, or you can donate on-line by credit card (see link above).
As of August 2023, the non-profit Opera in Williamsburg, Inc, is producing the operas directly. Until August 2023, the production activities of Opera in Williamsburg were carried out through Opera in Williamsburg Productions, LLC, which is a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) owned by Naama Zahavi-Ely. Naama was personally responsible for covering the financial obligations of Opera in Williamsburg -- which are primarily fees and transportation expenses paid to the cast and the creative team (rent for performing and rehearsing at the Kimball Theatre and elsewhere is a distant second). Opera in Williamsburg Productions was a regular for-profit corporation; but the economic realities of producing opera are such that there is no way to turn a profit running one -- the goal is to break even, aided by donations and grants that were provided via Opera in Williamsburg, Inc., for specific opera expenses. As of August 2023, the expenses of producing operas (paying the artists, rental expenses for venues, costume expenses, etc) are paid by Opera in Williamsburg, Inc (the non-profit organization) directly, rather than being managed by Opera in Williamsburg Productions as has been the case up to that point.
A part of the vision of Opera in Williamsburg is working with outstanding professional artists and paying them fairly, even if financial constraints force it into the lower level of what would be considered "fair." It is also very important indeed to keep ticket prices within the reach and norms of the community, and within the reach of students in particular. This means that developing community support is crucial. Naama invests a significant amount of work and time as a producer, visual designer, copywriter, and jack-of-all-trades. Naama receives no pay or material benefit from Opera in Williamsburg.
Jorge Parodi has been the conductor and music director of most of our productions to date, and is now the Music Director of Opera in Williamsburg. His skillful and committed support has been invaluable. His web site is at www.jorgeparodi.com
The creative teams of Opera in Williamsburg are contracted for specific projects. They have no financial control over Opera in Williamsburg and no claim beyond the fee agreed on for the specific project, and are not involved in financial decision-making.
From November 2012 and on, Opera in Williamsburg has been fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, a national non-profit tax-exempt art service organization. Fractured Atlas received donations and administered grants earmarked for the use of Opera in Williamsburg; the money was disbursed for specific, documented expenses of Opera in Williamsburg. In 2015 Opera in Williamsburg formed its own tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, Opera in Williamsburg, Inc., through which it received donations and apply for grants directly. As of August 2023 Opera in Williamsburg, Inc, created a new board of directors in support of the same artistic team, Naama Zahavi-Ely as Artistic and General Director and Jorge Parodi as Music Director. Jorge Parodi and Naama Zahavi-Ely are ex-officio members of the current board of directors.
Community support is crucial for the continuing activity of Opera in Williamsburg: otherwise, for all its artistic success, it would have to stop for lack of funds. Our budget is minuscule by opera standards, but it still cannot be covered by ticket sales alone, even if every seat at the Kimball Theatre is sold.
A group of loyal friends has been providing volunteer work, advice, assistance, hospitality, and contributions to Opera in Williamsburg. We currently have a formal Advisory Board that meets regularly, with minutes taken and distributed. The current chair of the Advisory Board is Paul Try (who is also the chair of the Board of Directors). From Spring 2022 to August 2023 the chair of the Advisory Board was Sharon Snow. From Spring 2018 to Spring 2022, the Advisory Board has been chaired by Mr. Oliver Portmann, from April 2015 to January 2018 by Mr. Frank Knuettel, and from April 2014 to April 2015 by Mr. Paul Maramaldi who first formed it in April 2014 and has later been the Secretary of the Advisory Board. If you are interested in getting involved, please get in touch with us.
Opera in Williamsburg is still at an early stage. Advice, volunteers, and assistance would be very welcome indeed. Please get in touch with Paul Try at ptryc@cox.net or with Naama Zahavi-Ely at nxzaha@gmail.com or Naama@operainwilliamsburg.org.
Thank you so much!