The Mastersigners

As Mastersigner Chair and Vice President for Development, I am delighted to welcome you to the 2007-2008 season of the New Orleans Opera Association. This year inaugurates a new era for both the Opera and the Mastersigners, an organization of major donors founded in 1981 by Joe Young. Joe conceived of it as a guild of opera lovers who, like the “Meistersingers” of 15th-16th century Germany, were dedicated to the support of singing excellence. A Mastersigners couple contributes $3,500 or more per year in order to support the legacy of Opera in New Orleans.  In return, we have expanded the benefits of membership to includes an Il Trittico opening night reception, two supper receptions with the stars of our operas, a New Year’s Gala, the annual Mastersigner Director’s Dinner at the Windsor Court Hotel, a dinner with the cast of West Side Story, champagne at intermission, free preferred parking, and continued access to preferred seating when we return to the Theater for the Performing Arts.

The Mastersigners are critical to the financial stability of the New Orleans Opera, and although our membership has now grown to over 90, we strive to further our growth in support of the Opera post-Katrina. The expanded season this year, including four operas and a New Year’s Gala, reflects the future vision of our Association guided by the leadership of Maestro Robert Lyall, our Executive Committee, and our Board of Directors. But our growth will depend importantly upon the generosity of current and new Mastersigners who are determined that opera will prosper in our recovering community.

Let me thank all of our current donors for their continued support and dedication to opera. To our new members, thanks and welcome to our family. For those who would like to join, please contact me personally at (504) 899-4445 or email, rrmize@aol.com, or through James Shoemaker at the New Orleans Opera offices at (504) 529-2278 ext. 232.

Dr. R. Ranney Mize
Chairman, The Mastersigners and
   Vice President of Development