Austin On Stage - Your Online Source for Austin's Performing Arts

Armstrong Community Music School to Become Stand-Alone Organization

As part of its on-going reorganization, the Austin Lyric Opera will establish their Armstrong Community Music School as an independent not-for-profit organization, effective February 1st. The move is the result of a decision taken by the Opera's board of trustees this past June to spin off the music school as a separate entity as part of the on-going efforts to erase several years of mounting debt.

The Austin Lyric Opera established the Armstrong Community Music School in 2000 at the same time it bought and renovated its headquarters on Barton Springs Road. Earlier this year, the opera sold the headquarters building, providing an influx of cash to offset more than $2 million in accumulated debt. But in the process, the Armstrong School of Music lost its home.

The separation of the community music school from the opera allows both organizations to move forward more efficiently. Martha Rochelle, who chaired the Austin Lyric Opera's task force that worked on a strategic plan for the future of the school, will serve as Armstrong Community Music School's chair.

"This change allows the Austin Lyric Opera and the Armstrong School of Music to focus on their core missions and to expand their services to the community," said Ernest Auerbach, president of the Opera board. "We are pleased about what the future holds for both the Opera and the school."

The opera and the school will maintain their programs and operations at the Barton Springs Road site through April 2012 and then will establish separate facilities.

The Austin Lyric Opera plans to launch a new opera education program to complement its opera subscription season at The Long Center. The Armstrong Community Music School will maintain its focus on early childhood music education, individual music instruction and other community programs.

Now in its 25th season, the Austin Lyric Opera recently announced its 2012-13 Season, which will include Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and Gounod's Faust. For more information, call (512) 472-5992 or visit www.AustinLyricOpera.org.

(Image courtesy ALO)