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The inaugural TRIO Gala in February exemplifies these new relationships. For the first time, the annual fundraising events of each organization will be combined in support of live performing arts education and outreach.

“We’ve been working on partnerships with Ballet Arizona and The Phoenix Symphony over the past year to streamline our organizational functions and needs,” Riesenberg says. One aspect of this is that the three arts organizations are participating in a new networking and ticketing consortium through the Tessitura database system. 

“This will allow us to enhance our ticketing and constituent databases, share information as needed and even bundle ticket packages together,” she says, noting that only some information will be shared among Arizona Opera, Ballet Arizona and the Phoenix Symphony.

“The TRIO Gala will be a great way for the patrons of Arizona Opera, Ballet Arizona and the Phoenix Symphony to support all three organizations at one exciting event that will showcase the talents of all three organizations,” says Nancy Spetzler, co-chair of TRIO Steering Committee and a member of the Arizona Opera Board of Trustees.

“We are hoping our supporters will recognize the benefits of this new model and appreciate our desire to be more efficient with our fund-raising dollars and respectful of our patrons’ busy lives,” she adds.

Because of the new center, Arizona Opera plans to host community events and activities in the Black Box Theater, hold more educational activities for children and low-income communities and become involved in Phoenix’s First Fridays events, Riesenberg explains. 

With the opening of the new Opera Center, the types of performances and productions will also change for the company. In 2013–14, four productions will appear at Phoenix Symphony Hall and Tucson Music Hall and one production in the new Black Box Theater.

“This fifth production of the season will be a more intimate, up-close-and-personal opera experience, the way opera was originally meant to be performed and seen and heard,” says Riesenberg, “We cannot wait to present our first production in this space.”

While the new Opera Center is being prepared, this season Arizona Opera will perform “Lucia di Lammermoor,” “Romèo et Juliette,” “Tosca,” “Il Trovatore” and “The Marriage of Figaro” at Phoenix Symphony Hall and in Tucson.

Most important is the effect the new Opera Center will have on quality, energy and cohesiveness. “It allows us to bring our staff together in one location (artistic, production and administrative), helping us to work more closely together to create synergies between the departments that will assist us in promoting and producing great opera,” Riesenberg says.