Washington Opera

Artistic Director: Placido Domingo

The Washington Opera is in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. It has a long history and is one of the most popular opera theatres in the United States.

The Washington Opera was begun in 1957 by Day Thorpe, the music critic of the Washington Star. It was then called the Opera Society of Washington. Many prominent Washingtonians gravitated enthusiastically to the Opera Society and devoted years of their lives to making the Washington Opera a successful undertaking. Paul Callawy the choirmaster and organist of the Washington Cathedral was named the first music director. Some of the early contributors of both time and later financial assistance included David Lloyd Kreeger, who later became President of the Opera Board. Roger Stevens, as the Chairman of the Board of Kennedy Center invited the Washinton Opera into the Kennedy Center where it remains today. Martin Feinstein, one of the early directors of the Washington Opera, brought in many wonderful young singers, long before their first appearances at the Metropolitan Opera. These fine young singers included Jerry Hadley and Denyce Graves (in a small role that she is likely to never play again - Maddalena in Rigoletto). Denyce Graves was later quickly brought back in several roles including Carmen and more recently she appeared with Jose Cura in Samson et Dalila.

In the early years the Opera was sometimes heard in the DAR Constitution Hall, known for it's terrible acoustics. Currently it is housed in the Kennedy Center. A visit to the previous home occurred over the past 2 seasons, with the DAR undergoing an approximately $10 million sound renovation.

Previous Washington Opera seasons can be viewed online.

The forthcoming operas will be the first in the newly renovated opera hall of the Kennedy Center.

Upcoming Operas

Manon Lescaut

La Cenerentola

Streetcar Named Desire

External Links Washington Opera Website

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