{{short description|Opera company in Portland, Oregon, United States}} thumb|Office at World Trade Center, 2026 [[File:Keller Auditorium.JPG|thumb|255 px|The Keller Auditorium, Portland Opera's principal performance venue]] '''Portland Opera''' is an American opera company based in Portland, Oregon. Its performances take place in the Keller Auditorium and Newmark Theatre, both part of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Portland Opera also produces a separate subscription series of touring Broadway musicals, which also take place at the Keller Auditorium.
==History== Portland Opera was founded as the Portland Opera Association in 1964 by the conductor Henry Holt, and the first recreation director of Portland Parks & Recreation, Dorothea Marie Lensch, was a founding member.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.portlandoperaguild.org/gift-honors-dorothea-lensch/ |title=Gift Honors Dorothea Lensch |publisher=portlandoperaguild.org |access-date=February 23, 2025}}</ref> Its first performance was Strauss' ''Die Fledermaus'', the only opera presented that season.<ref>[http://www.portlandopera.org/company/about-us/history-productions Past productions record], Portland Opera</ref> Holt served as the company's General Director for the first two years of existence. The next General Director post was the Austrian conductor Herbert Weiskopf, who died of a heart attack in March 1970 after conducting a performance of ''Lucia di Lammermoor''.<ref>''New York Times'', (March 23, 1970)</ref> The conductor Stefan Minde then took over as General Director and served until 1984, followed by Robert Bailey, a stage director, and National Public Radio's first Director of Culture Programming, who served until 2003. Stage Director Christopher Mattaliano succeeded Robert Bailey as General Director in 2003 and served through 2019.
The current General Director is Susan (Sue) Dixon, who was appointed in October 2019, and is the first female general director in the opera's 56 year history. The most recent Music Director was George Manahan, who held the post from 2012 to 2021.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.portlandopera.org/about/press-media/press-release-portland-opera-music-director-george-manahan-steps-down-after-9-seasons/ | title=Press Release: Portland Opera Music Director George Manahan Steps Down After 9 Seasons | publisher=Portland Opera | date=31 August 2021 | access-date=2021-09-02}}</ref> In September 2021, the company announced the appointment of Damien Geter as its interim music director, with immediate effect.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.portlandopera.org/about/press-media/press-release-welcome-maestro-geter-to-the-portland-opera-stage/ | title=Press Release: Welcome Maestro Geter to the Portland Opera Stage | publisher=Portland Opera | date=27 September 2021 | access-date=2021-09-28}}</ref>
Portland Opera was one of the first opera companies to introduce surtitles in its productions,<ref>Norberg (October 31, 2007)</ref> and has presented several world and US premieres. In October 2014, the company announced changes in the format of its productions, by presenting some productions in the Keller Auditorium and others as a part of a summer festival format, with three operas produced in the Newmark Theatre.<ref>David Stabler, [http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/index.ssf/2014/10/post_60.html "Portland Opera makes dramatic move to summer seasons beginning in 2016: 'We want to avoid death by 1,000 paper cuts'"], ''The Oregonian'', 28 October 2014.</ref>
As part of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Portland Opera Association received $1 million in federally backed small business loan from First Republic Bank as part of the Paycheck Protection Program. The opera stated it would allow them to retain 73 jobs.<ref name="proj_PORT">{{Cite web |title=PORTLAND OPERA ASSOCIATION, INC - Coronavirus Bailouts - ProPublica |last1=Syed |first1=Moiz |last2=Willis |first2=Derek |work=ProPublica |date= |access-date=8 July 2020 |url= https://projects.propublica.org/coronavirus/bailouts/loans/portland-opera-association-inc-4b91475d48aaffd7fe7833df31d0e630}}</ref>
==Premieres== Portland Opera's premiere performances include: * Bernard Herrmann: ''Wuthering Heights'' (1982, world premiere of an abridged version)<ref>Kellow (November 1996)</ref> * Christopher Drobny: ''Lucy's Lapses'' (1990, world premiere)<ref>Campbell (May 3, 1990)</ref> * Reynaldo Hahn: ''Le marchand de Venise'' (The Merchant of Venice) (1996, US premiere)<ref>Campbell (November 4, 1996)</ref> * William Bolcom: ''A View from the Bridge'' (2003, US West Coast premiere)<ref>Van Allen (January 17, 2002)</ref>
==References== '''Notes''' {{Reflist|30em}} '''Sources''' *Campbell, Ruth M., [http://www.seattlepi.com/archives/1990/9005030023.asp "Portland Opera's 'Lucy's Lapses' is Promising Despite Giddiness"], ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', May 3, 1990. Accessed 29 September 2009. *Campbell, Ruth M., [https://web.archive.org/web/20121102043636/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-64674792.html "Portland Opera Goes Out on a Limb Presenting Merchant of Venice"] ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', November 4, 1996. Accessed via subscription 29 September 2009. *[https://www.nytimes.com/1970/03/23/archives/herbert-weiskopf-conductor-on-coast.html "Herbert Weiskopf, Conductor on Coast"], ''New York Times'', March 23, 1970, p. 41. *Kellow, Brian, [https://web.archive.org/web/20121102043818/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-10435580.html "Portland's Progress"], ''Opera News'', November 1996. Accessed via subscription 29 September 2009. *Norberg, Eric, [http://www.thebeenews.com/news/story.php?story_id=119344324464524200 "An Inner Southeast "crown jewel" — the Portland Opera"], ''Portland Bee'', October 31, 2007. Accessed 29 September 2009. *Stabler, David, [http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/index.ssf/2009/07/portland_opera_ends_season_in.html "Portland Opera ends season in the black"], ''The Oregonian'', July 14, 2009. Accessed 29 September 2009. *Van Allen, Angela, [https://web.archive.org/web/20121102043909/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-49586866.html "Portland Opera Set for Diverse new Season"], ''The Columbian'', January 17, 2002. Accessed via subscription 29 September 2009.
==External links== {{Portal|Opera|Oregon}} *{{Official website|http://www.portlandopera.org}}
{{authority control}}
Category:1964 establishments in Oregon Category:American opera companies Category:Music of Portland, Oregon Category:Musical groups established in 1964 Category:Performing arts in Oregon