Shocker: San Diego Opera to fold

According to the U-T, the San Diego Opera will close down at the end of this season after 49 years. The board voted 33 to 1 for the shuttering today (March 19).

Ian Campbell, general and artistic director, said, "We saw we faced an insurmuntable financial hurdle going forward."

The option was going down gracefully or trying to go forward and ultimately filing for bankruptcy. This is very personal for me. For over 30 years, I was on the board and the advisory board of San Diego Opera, and I was a donor. Every time I gave a speech, the group would give $200 to the opera. I raised from $5000 on the low side to $12,500 on the high side over the years.

The opera had reduced its schedule in recent years, particularly after the 2008 economic meltdown, as donations and attendance dropped.

San Diego Opera was generally considered among the nation's top ten opera companies. Stars such as Joan Sutherland, Beverly Sills, and Renée Fleming have sung there during the years. This is a sad day for the arts and for San Diego.