LA Opera Got $20M From Taxpayers, Then Paid Executives $33M

A Center Square investigation finds the Los Angeles Opera has received more than $20 million in government grants over the past decade while paying more than $30 million to top executives over the same period. Investigative reporter Adam Herbets details how LA Opera collected COVID-era relief funds — including PPP loans later forgiven — despite tax filings suggesting the organization may have exceeded the employee-count threshold typically required for eligibility. Herbets also found LA County's grant scoring rubric weights funding toward nonprofits that already hold large reserves, and that LA Opera funneled more than $7 million to music director James Conlon through a separate production company, on top of approved housing and first-class travel benefits. LA Opera did not respond to requests for comment.