New Orleans Opera values diversity, recognizing that our differences contribute to our strength as an arts organization serving a diverse population. We are committed to eliminating barriers to access and equity and see a diverse Board, staff, and artists as a key step toward this goal. It is our belief that every employee has the right to be treated with dignity, respect, and self-worth and that it is imperative that we, as a cornerstone cultural institution in the city of New Orleans, act in a manner free of bias, exclusion, and discrimination whether on the basis of faith, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, age, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, political affiliation, or any other personal differences.

Diversity & Inclusion Vision

New Orleans Opera Board, staff, and artists work together to create a diverse, inclusive, and respectful culture that inspires the entire community of New Orleans to engage with our world-class opera company.

Diversity & Inclusion Mission

We achieve our vision by:

• Attracting, recruiting, and retaining a skilled, high-performing, diverse staff that reflects our city.
• Recruiting Board members who are passionate about the organization and reflect all facets of the greater New Orleans community and engaging them actively in committees.
• Engaging national and local talent of diverse cultures to perform on our stage and in the orchestra pit.
• Widening the selection of repertoire to include stories by women and composers of color that reflect our community and their experiences in addition to operas from the traditional European canon.
• Committing resources to cultivate an inclusive culture that respects staff and artist differences, recognizes and rewards their diverse talents, and helps them reach their full potential.
• Expanding outreach to universities with diverse student populations and Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the Gulf Coast Region to provide opportunities to learn all aspects of opera administration and production, including stagecraft, costuming, and wigs and makeup.

At New Orleans Opera, we recognize that:

Diversity is important. The U.S. population is becoming increasingly diverse, and the traditional definition of diversity — race, gender, and age — has evolved appropriately to include anything that makes us different from one another. We are a kaleidoscope not only of ideas but also of various races, ethnicities, religions, generations, languages, and cultural groups.

We are collectively stronger through an inclusive culture. New Orleans Opera is committed to not only create and maintain, but also leverage and value the richness of a diverse team of Board members, staff, and artists so that every member of the company has an equal opportunity to contribute in significant ways to the effectiveness of the organization. Our Board and staff will be highly regarded for valuing others and promoting the right of every person to reach his or her full potential; that means integrating our values into our daily interactions and behaviors.