Glimmerglass Festival Closing In on $5 Million Campaign Goal

Clark Foundation Issues Dollar-for-Dollar Matching Challenge, Up to $250,000

COOPERSTOWN—The Glimmerglass Festival is quickly closing in on its $5 million fundraising goal since announcing the campaign in February. 

To date, “Destined to Glimmerglass: The 50th Anniversary Campaign” has raised $4.5 million.

Now, The Clark Foundation has stepped up to offer a dollar-for-dollar matching challenge—up to $250,000.00—to help the festival reach $5 million by the start of performances on July 11. 

“It is deeply meaningful to our organization, artists, and audiences to have The Clark Foundation offer this challenge to us,” said Robert Ainsley, artistic and general director of The Glimmerglass Festival. “Their generosity empowers us to go even further in our efforts to support the future of the festival as an international destination and training ground for the next generation of performers and production professionals.”

“In fact, because of The Clark Foundation,” Ainsley added, “we are considering how we can stretch even more in our efforts to lead, teach, and innovate—and engage our community in participating in this campaign and our vision for the future.” 

“The Glimmerglass Festival is a cultural gem here in Cooperstown, making our region a destination for people from all walks of life and from all over the world,” said Jane Forbes Clark, president of The Clark Foundation.

“We have been impressed by the generous response the festival has received thus far, and are proud to inspire even more acts of philanthropy through this $250,000.00 challenge,” Clark said.

Dollars raised during the 50th anniversary campaign will allow the festival to invest in what makes Glimmerglass a destination unlike any other, officials said. Support will:

• Provide young artists and technicians the space, time, mentorship and freedom they need to develop their craft at the highest level.
• Maintain the festival’s place as a cultural leader, helping to define the landscape of American opera and musical theater for today’s audiences.
• Ensure the festival continues to be a safe haven for free expression, a crucible for social discourse, and a mirror for society as an independent arts organization.
• Anchor the festival’s reputation as an international destination where everyone sees their story reflected on the stage.

Tickets to The Glimmerglass Festival’s 50th anniversary season, which begins on Friday, July 11 and includes productions of “Tosca,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “The House on Mango Street,” “The Rake’s Progress,” and “Odyssey,” are now on sale. To discover even more about the future of Glimmerglass, visit www.glimmerglass.org/campaign.