New York › Arts, entertainment and recreation › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Aug 2024 to 31 Jul 2025
Metropolitan Opera Association Retirement Plan
Sponsored by Metropolitan Opera Association, Inc., New York, NY
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
Metropolitan Opera Association Retirement Plan is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by Metropolitan Opera Association, Inc. of New York, New York. For the plan year ending 31 Jul 2025 it reported 1,664 participants, 715 of them active, and net assets of $277M.
Net assets came to $166,746 per participant, well above the $87,935 median for defined benefit plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and well above the $98,070 median for defined benefit plans in arts, entertainment and recreation. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $11.1M for the year ($15,485 per active participant) and benefits paid were $20.1M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
Schedule C lists 15 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $6.1M: $3,648 per participant, well above the same-size median of $325. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $3.4M. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $131M in 2009 to $277M in 2024 (up 112%), and participants from 1,430 to 1,664 (up 16%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified).
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $166,746 | $87,935 | $98,070 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $15,485 | $10,593 | $8,284 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $3,648 | $325 | $440 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 2.2% | 0.41% | 0.49% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $2,060 | $513 | $715 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (1,540 plans), arts, entertainment and recreation (119) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,664 | $277M | $166,746 | $11.1M | — | $6.1M |
| 2023 | 1,641 | $264M | $160,889 | $11.0M | — | $5.7M |
| 2022 | 1,549 | $248M | $160,153 | $10.1M | — | $4.7M |
| 2021 | 1,585 | $246M | $154,946 | $9.6M | — | $7.3M |
| 2020 | 1,495 | $260M | $174,138 | $8.6M | — | $8.4M |
| 2019 | 1,530 | $217M | $141,601 | $11.1M | — | $5.0M |
| 2018 | 1,513 | $211M | $139,472 | $9.9M | — | $2.6M |
| 2017 | 1,480 | $213M | $144,048 | $12.9M | — | $3.7M |
| 2016 | 1,478 | $204M | $137,859 | $10.5M | — | $2.1M |
| 2015 | 1,476 | $191M | $129,409 | $8.6M | — | $1.5M |
| 2014 | 1,454 | $198M | $136,212 | $9.1M | — | $1.3M |
| 2013 | 1,480 | $195M | $131,579 | $9.1M | — | $907K |
| 2012 | 1,456 | $180M | $123,661 | $12.5M | — | $685K |
| 2011 | 1,408 | $154M | $109,124 | $9.6M | — | $23K |
| 2010 | 1,446 | $150M | $103,763 | $9.3M | — | $0 |
| 2009 | 1,430 | $131M | $91,725 | $5.7M | — | $4,000 |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$264,018,993
- Employer contributions$11,072,000
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$11,072,000
- Total income, including investment results$36,934,343
- Benefits paid$20,060,082
- Administrative expenses$3,427,780
- Total expenses$23,487,862
- Net income$13,446,481
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$277,465,474
Participants
- Active participants715
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits521
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits326
- Total participants, end of year1,664
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partners Capital | Investment advisory (plan) | $1,607,739 | $0 |
| The Children's Investment Fund | Investment management | $0 | $504,386 |
| Two Sigma AB Ret Enhanced Fund | Investment management | $0 | $503,535 |
| Elliott International Limited | Investment management | $0 | $246,525 |
| Glazer Enhanced Offshore Fund Ltd. | Investment management | $0 | $216,627 |
| 140 Summer Partners | Investment management | $0 | $202,607 |
| Holocene Advisors Offshore Fund Ltd. | Investment management | $0 | $161,469 |
| Proskauer Rose LLP | Legal | $153,953 | $0 |
| Encompass | Investment management | $0 | $145,536 |
| Andurand Capital | Investment management | $0 | $130,468 |
| Milliman | Actuarial | $127,562 | $0 |
| Exodus Point Partners | Investment management | $0 | $116,329 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. 3 smaller rows are not shown. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Investment advisory and management fees$1,880,499
- Other administrative expenses$1,284,066
- Actuarial fees$116,767
- Legal fees$115,548
- IQPA audit fees$30,900
- Total administrative expenses$3,427,780
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Partnership/joint venture interests$188M · 67.5%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$80.7M · 29.0%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$5.7M · 2.0%
- Receivables$3.9M · 1.4%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmKPMG, LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $20,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1ABenefits are primarily pay related
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 711100: Performing Arts Companies.
Other plans of Metropolitan Opera Association, Inc.
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| The Metropolitan Opera Retirement Savings Plan | 1,233 | $232M |
Similar plans in New York
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major League Baseball - Office Employees Plan | Office of the Commissioner of Baseball | 1,667 | $316M | $189,854 |
| MSG Entertainment Holdings, LLC Cash Balance Pension Plan | MSG Entertainment Holdings, LLC | 1,663 | $111M | $66,979 |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art Retirement Plan for Covered Union Employees | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | 1,906 | $240M | $125,872 |
| Major League Baseball Pension Plan for Non-Uniformed Personnel | New York Yankees Partnership | 1,105 | $119M | $108,027 |
| New York Backstretch Employees Pension Plan | New York Backstretch Employees Pension Plan | 1,984 | $55.2M | $27,842 |
| The Lincoln Center Pension Plan | Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. | 1,083 | $101M | $92,912 |
Defined benefit plans in arts, entertainment and recreation closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Metropolitan Opera Association Retirement Plan?
1,664 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Jul 2025, of whom 715 were active employees, with net assets of $277,465,474. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 1,540 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Metropolitan Opera Association, Inc. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $11,072,000 in employer contributions for the year, which is $15,485 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $10,593 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $6,071,081 in compensation to service provider organisations, $3,648 per participant or 2.2% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $325 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $3,427,780. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Metropolitan Opera Association, Inc.. Investment advisory or management: Partners Capital, The Children's Investment Fund and Two Sigma AB Ret Enhanced Fund. The financial statements were audited by KPMG, LLP. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Aug 2024 to 31 Jul 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 15 May 2026. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 13-1624087, plan 007, received 15 May 2026; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.