ROH awarded $20,000 operating grant

The Rochester Opera House Board of Directors, Staff and Volunteers have announced they are recipients of a $20,000 grant for operations support for the 2014/2015 season from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation (NHCF).

The award specifically comes from the Charles & Aroline B. Greenfield Fund, the Christos Papoutsy Art Ventures Fund and the Krasker Fund for the Arts and Humanities.

During the past five years, the Rochester Opera House has been the recipient of four $20,000 NHCF grant awards for operations.

"The City of Rochester and surrounding communities are culturally and economically enriched by the presence of the Rochester Opera House," said NHCF Senior Program Officer Simon Delekta. "With this unrestricted operating grant, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation's Piscataqua Regional Advisory Board strongly believes that the Opera House will be able to strengthen its capacity as a leading economic driver for the region as well as expand access to new and underserved audiences."

"We are greatly appreciative and honored that the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation has, again, chosen the Rochester Opera House for this prestigious award," said ROH Managing Director Susan Page. "NHCF grant awards have greatly impacted funding necessary to establish operations stability and to enhance programming. Rochester Opera House has seen tremendous growth in ticket sales, sponsorships and programming since reorganization in December 2007."

During the past five seasons, Rochester Opera House has established ROH Productions, an in-house production company; Summer Theatre Camp for ages four through teen; Rochester Community Players for those interested in participating in community theatre; and ROH Youth Theatre Company, entirely composed of student actors, musicians and technical apprentices.

Built and designed within the Rochester City Hall by architect George Gilman Adams in 1908, the Rochester Opera House is the only theater remaining in the country today with a mechanism that raises or levels the auditorium floor. With the floor leveled and the orchestra seats removed, the theatre stages flat floor events such as dance parties and dinner theatre with cocktail seating and live music in the pit. For concerts and plays, the floor is raised and the seats are replaced. The Rochester Opera House is located in City Hall, 31 Wakefield Street, Rochester NH. To learn more about this historic theatre, please visit RochesterOperaHouse.com.

Established in 1962, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is driven by a vision for a stronger, more just, and resilient Granite State. In pursuit of this vision, the foundation invests charitable assets for today and tomorrow; and leads and collaborates on important public issues. Annually, the foundation awards $30 million. Based in Concord, the foundation roots itself in communities across the state through its staff, board of directors and eight regional advisory boards. For more information, please visit NHCF.org or call 603-224-6641.