Already deemed an artistic success by many in the opera world, the Canadian Opera Company's inaugural season was a financial one as well, COC officials announced at its annual general meeting Tuesday night.
The 2006-2007 season ended with a surplus of $49,000 — the company's fifth consecutive surplus, COC president David Ferguson revealed Tuesday.
The COC's inaugural season at its new home, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, was a success "both administratively and artistically," Ferguson said in a statement.
"The momentum from the inaugural celebrations in June 2006 to the Ring Cycle in September 2006 continued through the season," he said, adding that the company enjoyed 99 per cent capacity over the year.
According to COC officials, box office revenues for the fiscal year increased by 19 per cent over that of the previous season and reached a record $16.89 million — with about $6.92 million coming directly from the three ambitious, acclaimed runs of Wagner's epic Ring Cycle the company staged as part of the Four Seasons kickoff in September 2006.
The balance came from the regular COC season of six main productions as well as several performances by the company's Ensemble Studio.
Box office revenues made up about half of the company's total operating revenue. The other half came from fundraising, sponsorships, government funding and other income sources such as space rentals.
Among the year's highlights, officials also pointed to the free, wide-ranging concert series it launched in October 2006 that drew nearly 20,000 people and the two free Opera Under the Stars concerts held in Ottawa in June.
The pair of outdoor shows drew approximately 25,000 people to Ottawa's LeBreton Flats Park and were among the final trips to the conductor's podium for the COC's late general director Richard Bradshaw, who died in August.
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