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The Orlando Opera is Orlando, Florida's professional opera company. Based in the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, the Orlando Opera performs multiple times a year in the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre and other venues in the central Florida region.

• Official web site of The Orlando Opera

HISTORY

Orlando Opera is now in its 49th season of producing the magic and grandeur of live opera in Central Florida beginning its performances in 1958 at the Orlando Municipal Auditorium. Through the years the company has built a reputation of presenting world-class singers (including Plácido Domingo, Beverly Sills, Luciano Pavarotti, Denyce Graves, and Cecilia Bartoli) and producing theatrically vivid productions.

Expanding on the many years of growth and accomplishment, Orlando Opera’s Board of Trustees recently appointed Jim Ireland as the company’s first President and CEO. Mr. Ireland brings several years of managerial success, both artistic and administrative, to the company. He has held executive level positions at Hartford Stage, Houston Grand Opera, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Long associated with Orlando Opera, General Director Robert Swedberg continues with the company, having the primary responsibility for the company’s artistry while also stage directing internationally.

The company maintains a long standing commitment to the discovery and training of young, emerging operatic talent. Our nationally-recognized Heinz-Rehfuss Singing-Actor Competition provides monetary awards and an opportunity for young singers to audition to become members of our Resident Artist program. The Resident Artists assume secondary roles in mainstage productions and also participate in educational/outreach and touring programs at local, state, and national levels. Supported by the company also are a number of locally-based talents who become members of the Lockheed Martin Studio Artist Program. All Artists receive training while gaining performance experience.

Orlando Opera maintains a long-standing commitment to education/outreach and touring to the diverse people of Central Florida. In a recent review conducted by peer panels for the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Orlando Opera ranked highest of all Arts in Education applicants. Additionally for each of the mainstage productions, our Entrée to Opera program brings approximately 800 middle and high school students to a dress rehearsal which is preceded by an informal dinner and discussion with opera professionals.

Orlando Opera’s performances and programs are made possible, in part, by grants from the Darden Restaurants, Lockheed Martin, National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Arts Council, Orange County Arts and Cultural Affairs, and United Arts of Central Florida. Orlando Opera is a member of OPERA America, the national service organization of professional opera companies.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

• In the 2005-2006 season, Orlando Opera reached over 125,000 people through its mainstage productions, education/outreach, and touring programs.

• Orlando Opera drew audiences from four countries, 31 states, and 33 Florida counties during the 2005-2006 season.

• As a labor intensive institution, Orlando Opera invests over 75% of its operating budget back into the Central Florida community through employment and the purchase of goods and services.

• Orlando Opera has a permanently restricted Endowment totaling over $1.1 million.

• Orlando Opera’s education programs were again recently recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts with a $40,000 award in support of expanding the Opera on Tour! program. This award also allowed the tour to participate in the NEA’s innovative initiative, the Great American Voices Project.

• The State of Florida Department of Cultural Affairs has awarded over $99,000 in grants to Orlando Opera in support of the 2006-2007 season.

• Orlando Opera’s 2006 second-stage production of The Marriage of Figaro, which featured the company’s Resident Artists, sold out for all available performances.

• Orlando Opera brings world-renowned singers to Central Florida including soprano Carol Vaness, who graced the stage as Tosca in April 2006, and mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves in Samson and Dalila in November 2006.

• Orlando Opera continues to cultivate audiences outside Central Florida, this year presenting Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in Vero Beach.

• The company recently received a major grant from Orange County to use the opera’s productions to increase tourism to Orlando.

• Orlando Opera has awarded over $330,000 in awards and training support for young singers since the inception of the Heinz Rehfuss Singing Actor Competition in the early 1990’s.

• Orlando Opera is now in its 11th year of collaboration with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, which accompanies all of its mainstage productions. Orlando Opera is the largest annual purchaser of the Philharmonic’s services.