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Boston Lyric Opera

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Poorly managed and very low morale - Anonymous employee Boston Lyric Opera Employee Review

1.0
5 Sept 2022
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Connections to others arts organizations. Flexible work from home.

Cons

Very poorly managed. The new leadership changes direction and policies so frequently that basic tasks become Herculean because no one knows the current way to do things. Investments are made in everything but the staff. They acknowledge that salaries are under market - which would lead to significant turnover even if the work environment wasn't toxic. It exemplifies the "old style" of management, even though the leadership is generally very young and the head of the company is 38. Frame of reference: there are 9 director level positions in the company and four have turned over between June and September (in addition over 100% turn over in the 2021-2022 season - with some lower level positions turning over 3+ times in a single year).

Explore other reviews about Boston Lyric Opera

5.0
30 Dec 2022
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Working at BLO is fun, challenging, and personally meaningful to me. I had been a fan of the company before I started, and came with almost two decades of experience working in Boston’s opera and performing arts sectors. BLO is doing incredibly ambitious artistic work with great integrity, and it centers its values, including care for its staff and artists, in everything it does. It’s clear that the company has invested deeply in culture change and strategic planning, and it’s inspiring to feel like we are building the world we want to live in both on and offstage.

Cons

BLO is still adapting to the norms of a hybrid workplace, and is still figuring out some technology and operational systems.

2.0
18 Aug 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Great for opera lovers: Free tickets to every show, very interesting productions, great artistic vision - Unlimited PTO and very few issues getting time off approved - A lot of LGBTQ+ representation amongst staff and contracted workers - Coworkers were incredibly kind and inclusive

Cons

- HEAVY turnover: responsibilities continued to pile on as positions above me left and no additional compensation was given - Coordinator roles were often given manager responsibilities and ownership of tasks - A LOT of expected and unexpected unpaid overtime during nights and weekends, especially during production season - Promised career networking opportunities and conventions that were taken away last minute due to budgeting issues, but additional trips were being added to senior leadership; heavy prioritization of roles at the "top"

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