Opera Carolina is a professional opera company in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
. Founded in 1948 by the Charlotte Music Club as the Charlotte Opera Association, the company was renamed Opera Carolina after its 1986 merger with North Carolina Opera which combined the main stage, educational, and touring operations of the two companies. Its past leadership has included Artistic Directors Richard Marshall and Charles Rosekrans, and General Director James Wright. Since 2000, Opera Carolina has been under the direction of General Director and Principal Conductor
James Meena.
Opera Carolina is a member of
Opera America and is supported by the Arts & Science Council, the
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
, and the North Carolina Arts Council.
[North Carolina Arts Council ] Opera Carolina presents three main stage productions, featuring the Opera Carolina Chorus and the
Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Charlotte, North Carolina. As the largest and most active professional performing arts organization in the central Carolinas , the Charlotte Symphony plays approximately 100 perfo ...
, in the Belk Theater in the
Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. Opera Carolina also presented an annual concert, Art • Poetry • Music, at the Knight Theater. Opera Carolina's season begins in October and runs until mid April.
Opera Carolina has remained solvent during the recession, which began in 2008, while other opera companies of similar size have closed their doors. The company has achieved this through discontinuing the Love Notes concert, reducing the season to three main productions, reduction in staff, and increased frugality in production costs. Also, Opera Carolina enjoys sustained corporate and private charitable support.
Opera Carolina was among the earliest performing arts companies to give live on-stage performances after closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
External links
Opera Carolina Official WebsiteOpera America Official WebsiteNorth Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center Official WebsiteCharlotte Arts & Science CouncilNorth Carolina ArtsThe Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
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Carolina
Culture of Charlotte, North Carolina
Tourist attractions in Charlotte, North Carolina
Organizations based in Charlotte, North Carolina
Musical groups established in 1948
Performing arts in North Carolina