A Fond Farewell from On Site Opera
After 12 incredible years of redefining opera, On Site Opera is bringing its extraordinary journey to a close. Since our very first performance at the Bronx Zoo, we have been honored to create immersive, site-specific opera experiences that brought audiences closer to the music, the stories, their city, and to each other.
While this decision was not an easy one, the financial landscape for the arts has made it increasingly challenging to sustain the kind of immersive, high-quality work we have always strived to create. Rather than continuing in an unsustainable environment, we have chosen to step away with gratitude, pride, and appreciation for everything we have built together, ensuring that our legacy reflects the artistic integrity and collaborative spirit that have defined On Site Opera from the start.
To every artist, collaborator, donor, and audience member who has been part of this journey—thank you. Your passion, support, and belief in our mission have made these 12 years unforgettable.
From grand halls to museums, botanical gardens to city streets, and even opera by phone and mail, we set out to make opera more accessible, innovative, and deeply connected to the spaces and communities where it was performed. Along the way, we’ve had the privilege of working with extraordinary artists, collaborating with visionary institutions, and welcoming audiences who embraced opera in bold new ways.
While this marks the end for On Site Opera, it is a reminder of how vital the arts are to our cultural landscape. We encourage you to continue supporting the organizations and artists who bring creativity, connection, and inspiration to our world.
Read the full press release below.
Sincerely,
Piper Gunnarson
General Director & CEO
Corey Kinger
President of the Board of Directors
PRESS RELEASE
ON SITE OPERA ANNOUNCES CLOSURE AFTER TWELVE GROUNDBREAKING YEARS OF INNOVATION
NEW YORK, January 28, 2025 – On Site Opera will bring its extraordinary 12-year journey to a close this winter as New York’s acclaimed trailblazer in site-specific and immersive opera productions. Since its founding in 2012, the company has redefined opera by creating intimate, accessible productions in unconventional settings and expanding the art form through innovative storytelling, audience experience, accessibility, and technology.
The decision to sunset was driven by an increasingly challenging environment in funding for the arts combined with rising operational costs. These factors have made it significantly more difficult to continue to produce high-quality, immersive works in a financially sustainable way that ensures fair and equitable compensation for artists and staff. On Site Opera is committed to a responsible, preemptive closure that prioritizes integrity and respect for its community.
“We are immensely proud of what On Site Opera has achieved in reimagining how opera is experienced and setting a standard for artistic excellence in the field,” says Corey Kinger, the President of On Site Opera’s Board of Directors. “While this decision was incredibly difficult, it reflects our unwavering commitment to the values that have guided this company since its inception. As stewards of On Site Opera’s legacy, we could not in good conscience continue without being able to guarantee the company had the future financial foundation necessary to continue to uphold the fairness and artistic integrity that have always been our hallmark.”
Founded in 2012 by Eric Einhorn and Jessica Kiger, On Site Opera debuted with its inaugural production of Shostakovich’s The Tale of the Silly Baby Mouse at The Bronx Zoo and quickly became the country’s leading presenter of site-specific opera, pushing the boundaries of what opera could be. Over its 12 years, the company produced nearly 30 site-specific operas, including five world premieres, and forged partnerships with iconic institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Museum of Natural History, Harlem’s iconic Cotton Club, the South Street Seaport Museum, and more. The company partnered with Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Atlanta Opera, Caramoor, and the Yarra Valley Opera Festival (Australia) to bring its productions to audiences beyond New York City. From staging operas in unconventional venues such as a New York City coffee shop and Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen to bringing audiences opera by phone and mail during the COVID-19 pandemic, On Site Opera consistently demonstrated a fearless commitment to making opera accessible, innovative, and relevant. Its groundbreaking use of Google Glass supertitles and a multilingual mobile app set new standards in the field.
“This decision has been extraordinarily difficult, but necessary as the arts are facing significant financial headwinds,” adds On Site Opera’s General Director / CEO, Piper Gunnarson. “I am forever grateful to the donors, funding institutions, and audiences who have supported the artistic innovation we have been able to foster, and I am incredibly proud of every single person who has been part of this organization and the work they have all done to inspire artists and audiences alike to reimagine this beautiful art form.”
Gunnarson continues, “On Site Opera has been dedicated as much to artistic innovation as it has to creating a positive, supportive environment for its artists, staff, and audience. It is all thanks to the community of people who came together to support this unique mission.”
Piper Gunnarson joined On Site Opera as Executive Director in 2017 and has been instrumental in shaping On Site Opera’s infrastructure, more than doubling its budget, diversifying the Board of Directors, and expanding its team. Her leadership saw the company establish an annual gala, develop an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion framework, and achieve significant milestones as a leader in the opera field.
“On Site Opera was born from a desire to make opera an immersive, intimate, and inclusive art form,” reflects Eric Einhorn, the company’s founding General and Artistic Director. “We set out to push artistic boundaries by reimagining what opera could be, alongside creating a company whose culture was built around empathy, collaboration, and equity. I am incredibly proud of how we brought that vision to life over the past 12 years, and I will be forever grateful to the hundreds of incredible artists, staff, board, supporters, and audiences who have been part of the On Site Opera journey.”
Since the departure of Einhorn in December 2023, the company has been under the artistic leadership of Sarah Meyers, continuing the company’s legacy of bold storytelling, and expanding programming to create more opportunities for audiences to connect with opera. Under her leadership, OSO presented a critically praised production of Bach’s Coffee Cantata, with an extended run of performances due to audience popularity; an expansion of the company’s summer concert series to include a special Juneteenth concert and a family-friendly concert of fairy-tale themed operas, and the world premiere of Kaminsky & Cote’s Lucidity, which performed to sold-out audiences last fall.
“On Site Opera has always thrived on collaboration, creativity, and a deep connection to its community,” says Meyers, Artistic Director. “I am deeply honored to have contributed to this incredible legacy and to the company’s commitment to making opera meaningful, vital, and compelling. To bring opera to life in new ways in unusual places and to see it resonate with both opera devotees and newcomers has been a joyful and fulfilling experience. I am grateful to have been a part of the team at On Site Opera and I am proud of the work we have done together.”
Founding President Emerita, Jane Gross, reflects on the company’s impact: “From the very beginning, On Site Opera was about breaking down barriers—between tradition and innovation, between artists and audiences, and between opera and the spaces where we live and connect. Watching the company grow into a beacon of creativity and collaboration has been a great privilege.”
On the company’s artistic achievements Music Director Geoffrey McDonald adds: “It has been a rewarding experience to create music that pushed boundaries and deepened the connection between artists and audiences in ways that only On Site Opera could. In addition to advancing the future of opera by producing a number of new works, the company has been a springboard for countless artists, with nearly a dozen making their prestigious Metropolitan Opera debuts after collaborating with us. This legacy of nurturing talent and fostering artistic excellence is one I’m immensely proud of.” McDonald has been the company’s Music Director and resident conductor since 2015, having led orchestras for more than 15 of On Site Opera’s unique productions, including Bach’s Coffee Cantata for which he created a new English libretto and orchestration for this world premiere production.
“On Site Opera’s productions have taken opera to locations many have never seen imaginable – from a soup kitchen, to a lightship, to public spaces all over NYC. It has been an exciting opportunity and a fulfilling challenge to create site-specific productions that showcase opera at its finest and that create personal experiences,” added Emily Barber, Director of Production. Barber has managed all aspects of production and artistic administration since joining the company in 2021. Her portfolio covered the complete range of On Site Opera’s projects during her tenure, including some of the largest productions in the company’s history.
As the company prepares for its final chapter, the leadership is committed to transparency, responsibility, and celebrating the legacy of a company that forever changed the way opera is experienced. Operations will wind down in winter 2025, with the company completing final contracted projects and closing out its financial operations responsibly as led by a dedicated board committee.
Kinger continued, “On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Piper Gunnarson, Sarah Meyers, Geoff McDonald, Emily Barber, and the entire On Site Opera team for their invaluable contributions to the organization, artistic excellence, and continued leadership during this transition. I look forward to seeing their future contributions and continued impact on the opera world. I would also like to thank Eric Einhorn for his vision, innovation and ingenuity in creating an opera company like no other, and the numerous artists – from singers and musicians to directors, stage managers, and designers – who have helped On Site bring opera alive in new, unique ways.”
As On Site Opera prepares for its final chapter, this moment underscores the urgent need to support the arts. With arts funding increasingly at risk, continued investment from donors, institutions, and audiences is essential to sustain the innovation and creativity that organizations like On Site Opera have championed.
Einhorn concludes, “On Site Opera has shown us the power of asking the question ‘What if?’. While this is the end of the On Site Opera story, we hope it inspires others to dream big and challenge the model. And we hope it drives others to recommit to supporting the artists and organizations that are the stewards of this incredible art form.”
