Dutch opera and ballet companies to merge   

By The Holland Times Tuesday 17 January 2012, 11:01

The Dutch Nationale Ballet and the Nederlandse Opera have announced plans to work together in 2013. Housed in the Muziektheater in Amsterdam since 1968, the two organisations aim to use the merger to boost their already solid international reputation and attract new fans.

According to opera director Truze Lodder, the move was not prompted by government cuts to the country's arts and culture budget. 

In fact, the two companies will maintain separate budgets and hold onto their individual names. Shared responsibilities will involve marketing, communications, sales, fundraising and sponsorship.

Lodder calls the initiative "a small scale, internal efficiency drive."