New York City Opera Information

Imaginative, adventurous, and accessible, New York City Opera was founded in 1943 with the purpose of making great opera available to a modern, wide-reaching audience. For more than sixty years, since Mayor Fiorello La Guardia established its reputation as “The People’s Opera,” the company has stayed true to its original promise: introducing generation after generation of young singers who are stars in the making, bringing the public exciting new works and compelling, fresh interpretations of classics, acting as a champion for American composers and performers, and ensuring that today’s opera, and tomorrow’s, can be a part of every New Yorker’s life. NYC Opera's expansive repertoire spans five centuries, from the Baroque operas that have become signature productions to commissioned works by some of today's most important composers. The company has given its audiences 29 world premieres to date, as well as 62 U.S. and/or New York premieres. An advocate for emerging directors and designers and extraordinary new singers, the company has helped launch the careers of such stars as José Carreras, Phyllis Curtin, David Daniels, Plácido Domingo, Lauren Flanigan, Elizabeth Futral, Jerry Hadley, Catherine Malfitano, Bejun Mehta, Sherrill Milnes, Samuel Ramey, Gianna Rolandi, Beverly Sills, Norman Treigle, Tatiana Troyanos and Carol Vaness.