Taste of Talent

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2023, taste of talent made remarkable strides in advancing its mission to showcase the transformative power of music and art through innovative cultural programs and immersive, multi-sensory experiences. This year, our focus was on fostering community connections and promoting entrepreneurial empowerment among artists. By curating three flagship programsopera aloha, jive (jewish innovative voices and experiences), and a taste of mxicowe not only celebrated cultural diversity but also positioned ourselves for future growth, grant opportunities, and increased community support.opera aloha took center stage in 2023, celebrating the diverse musical traditions of Hawaii through global opera talent and personal stories. The program made its debut at the kahilu theater on the big island, featuring a stellar lineup including korean-american mezzo-soprano alice chung, american countertenor aryeh nussbaum cohen, and mexican-american baritone efran solis, under the mentorship of native hawaiian tenor renson madarang. We closed the year with a holiday concert featuring samoan-new zealand tenor pene pati, bringing together the samoan community development center and youth from the asian american pacific islander community center. This performance celebrated the spirit of polynesian and hawaiian musical traditions during the festive season, deepening our impact on the local community.jive (jewish innovative voices and experiences) was co-founded by baritone and cantor of sherith israel simon barrad, aryeh nussbaum cohen, and pianist-producer ronny michael greenberg. This program explored the diversity of jewish musical traditions, blending genres like klezmer, sephardic songs, musical theater, opera, jazz, and both sacred and secular music. By connecting communities through these rich traditions, jive brought an innovative platform for cultural dialogue and artistic collaboration to the bay area.a taste of mxico was another highlight, celebrating mexican culture through music that merges traditional and contemporary influences. This years program showcased mexican-american tenor moiss salazar, who introduced the new genre of operachi, a unique blend of opera and mariachi music. His debut performance with this genre in san francisco was a centerpiece of our el da de los muertos celebration. The program also featured soprano marlen nahhas, whose dual mexican-lebanese heritage brought a unique voice to our cultural celebration. The tour extended to the eureka chamber music series, enriching our outreach in northern California.throughout 2023, we engaged 24 promising professional and young artists through other successful programs, including our annual death by aria halloween showcase and our exclusive salon series hosted in private homes around the bay area. The death by aria event creatively intertwined operatic traditions with the halloween spirit, while the salon series provided emerging artists with intimate settings to refine their craft, expand their networks, and explore new musical ideas. These initiatives gave artists the invaluable opportunity to connect with supportive and engaged audiences, furthering our mission to empower the next generation of talent.all of our programs were met with sold-out audiences across the bay area, Hawaii, and beyond, underscoring our commitment to enriching lives through the power of music and cultural exchange.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 81.4%; rating input score 81
• Program expense ratio: 93.6%; rating input score 94

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 13.1%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.36; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 24.1%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 29.9% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 27.1% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 23.2% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings