The Liceu Barcelona Opera House begins seeking international sponsorship

Barcelona (CNA) – The Liceu Barcelona Opera House launches its US Foundation, a new nonprofit organisation that will work from New York to promote the contribution of philanthropic funds from the United States to the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the Catalan capital’s Opera Theatre. In addition, it will seek to establish cultural, social and economic links between the institution and American civil society to strengthen the image of the Liceu, one of Europe’s main opera houses. For the first time in its history, the Catalan theater is beginning looking for resources outside the country and the CEO of the institution, Joan Francesc Marco, declared that the initiative represented a “great hope” for new funds. The foundation will start operating in the second half of this year and expects to raise a net contribution of $100,000 during the first year. The project s launched by the Gran Teatre del Liceu and Levante Capital Partners with the participation of Baker & McKenzie.

The foundation will be led by Marc Busquets, as its Executive Director, and by Francisco Gaudier, as the Board’s Chairman. The project will follow the model of other European opera houses and festivals such as the Paris National Opera, the Royal Opera House in London, the Salzburg Festival and the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. All of them have had a non-profit organisation in New York for years to promote the exchange of opera initiatives among these cities and attract philanthropic funds. These large institutions get between $200,000 and $700,000 each year. However, for its first year, the Liceu aims to obtain a net contribution of $100,000.

The organisation is the result of a union with Levante Capital Partners, specialists in investment management at the international level, which will cover the cost of the operation. In addition, Baker & McKenzie took part of the legal aspects, making an in-kind donation. As for the Catalan Government’s Ministry of Culture, Pilar Pifarré believes that the goal of cultural funding would be to get one-third funded by public contributions, a third with tickets and the remaining third obtained by sponsorship.

Donations from 1,000 to 50,000 dollars

The benefactors will collaborate with various levels of donation. The first level would be ‘Friend’ (1,000 dollars), ‘Supporter’ (2,500 dollars), ‘Patron’ (10,000 dollars), ‘Donor’ (25,000 dollars) and ‘Underwriter’ (50,000 dollars). The level of the donation will permit donors to have greater preference when booking tickets for the Gran Teatre del Liceu, meet the artistic team of an opera or have access to special events.