Indebted San Antonio Opera is Filing for Liquidation Bankruptcy

April 30, 2012

By: John Clark

The San Antonio Opera will soon become the art world’s latest victim of the global recession, as the Los Angeles Times reports that the young musical collective will file for bankruptcy at some point within the next three weeks.

Sources indicate that the opera company, which has experienced much financial hardship in its brief sixteen-year existence, will soon liquidate its assets in bankruptcy court in order repay its debts.

The opera’s financial struggles seemed to hit a peak in November 2011, when, according to reports, the company’s founder and artistic director, Mark Richter, abruptly departed and was replaced by an interim director, who also left after only two months when the company started missing payroll deadlines.

The opera has faced numerous financial struggles in recent years. The recession left consumers less willing to spend money on artistic luxuries, and decreased revenues forced the group to keep payments from its musicians.

To add to the opera’s financial woes, the company is reportedly being sued by the American Federation of Musicians, which alleges that the San Antonio Opera still owes several musicians payments from a production that was canceled in early 2010.

A bankruptcy attorney for the San Antonio opera said he believed that the musician’s lawsuit would be folded into the bankruptcy proceedings, according to information gathered by the San Antonio Express-News.

By filing for bankruptcy, the opera will be able to take advantage of the automatic stay, which will likely delay the collection lawsuit by the musician’s federation. Still, the federation’s claim may simply be added to the list of creditors’ demands.

Sources say that the San Antonio Opera no longer has any assets or staff, and that it has canceled promised performances of “Don Giovanni” and “Barber of Seville.” Fortunately, though, classical musicians in the San Antonio area may not be left penniless.

Sources say that another opera organization, Opera Theater San Antonio, is rising to prominence as its forefather languishes in bankruptcy court. The nascent opera group plans to host its first gala in May 2013, and hopes to put on its first full operas in 2015 after the construction of the group’s new performing arts center is completed.