Community
Opera San Luis Obispo
Located on California’s beautiful Central Coast since 1985, Opera San Luis Obispo (OperaSLO) is the region’s only professional opera company, and one of only four Grand Opera companies in the state. OperaSLO productions boast full orchestras, choruses, ballet, and original, complete sets and costumes. Season programs feature diverse events from elegant and intimate recital series to exciting educational experiences and spectacular grand opera and musical theatre productions. OperaSLO complements each season with an ever-changing cascade of rising opera and Broadway stars of both national and international acclaim. OperaSLO is a Resident Company at Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo as well as Vina Robles Ampitheatre.
Cal Poly Arts
Cal Poly Arts was formed in 1985 as a small classical music presenter. By 1988, largely through the involvement and support of the local community, the presenting series was expanded to include other performing arts disciplines (theatre, dance, jazz) as well as exhibitions and readings.
By 1990, Cal Poly Arts had integrated world music and dance, folk/traditional music, and family programming into the series. In 1991, the organization commissioned its first work, a concert of re-discovered Mexican Baroque music (which was successfully recorded and toured by the renowned classical group, Chanticleer). In 1993, the Stone Soup Music Festival – a series of free performances presented in outlying communities – was launched.
In 1996, with Cal Poly Arts spearheading the drive to build a new venue, the Performing Arts Center opened. In 1997, the organization again expanded the scope of its programming by including speakers, comics, and popular music concerts.
Orchestra Novo
Orchestra Novo’s purpose is to nourish and inspire our community through the co-creation and shared experience of orchestral and chamber music that deepens our connection to one another, our world, and ourselves. Orchestra Novo serves as a leader in presenting performances and educational programs that transform and enrich all those with whom we come into contact.
San Luis Repertory Theatre
This organization was created in the summer of 1947 by a small group of people who wanted to “put on a show”. These 10-15 theatre-lovers, swept up in the last wave of the larger Little Theatre movement across the country, recognized the need for an organized drama troupe in San Luis Obispo, and, late in 1947, decided on the name San Luis Obispo Little Theatre and began rehearsal for their first production — Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit– which opened at the San Luis Obispo High School Auditorium in early 1948.
Ballet Theater San Luis Obispo
Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo (BT-SLO) was created from the passions and talents of two people. Theresa Slobodnik, having retired from a professional career with The Gilbert Reed Ballet, was eager to direct a ballet company. Blair London, having danced all his life had just begun taking class with Theresa and was willing to handle the business details of the ballet company & nonprofit organization. Over coffee at Borders Books, the two decided that there could be a new ballet company in San Luis Obispo – Theresa as Artistic Director handling all of the artistic decisions and being the head of the ballet company; Blair as the Assistant Director seeing to the business aspects of the company and the future nonprofit. So, in the early part of 2006, Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo was born.
Festival Mosaic
- An average of 5,000 tickets sold annually
- An average of 100+ new attendees each year
- Many patrons attend 4-7 Festival events
- 27% of the audience comes from out-of-town, specifically to attend Festival Mozaic events
- Out-of-town visitors stay an average of 3 nights in area hotels & spend approx. $400 per day, not including event tickets
- 70% of the audience is 50+ years old
- A high concentration of high-wealth individuals