Company Profile
The Atlanta Opera
Company Overview
About The Company
The Atlanta Opera - “a powerhouse in the Atlanta arts scene” (ArtsATL) and “one of the most exciting opera companies in America” (Opera Wire) – celebrates its 45th anniversary during the 2024-25 season. Founded in 1979, the company has grown to become one of the 10 top-tier operas in the U.S. Under the leadership of internationally recognized stage director and Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun, The Atlanta Opera annually presents four mainstage productions at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, the acclaimed “Discoveries” event series, and the innovative 96-Hour Opera Festival that generates six new operas each season (one full and five shorts). The Atlanta Opera Film Studio produces a livestream and a feature-length cinematic version of each opera; and the Education and Community Engagement programming has seen dramatic growth to reach over 114,000 students and individuals through a variety of programs.
The company is dedicated to raising the artistic quality of its Mainstage productions by attracting world-renowned singers, conductors, directors, and designers who seek to enhance the art form. The Discoveries series has been widely recognized for presenting new works, new ideas and fresh perspectives, as well as for performances in immersive and alternative venues that bring opera to new audiences across the Atlanta metro area. The Atlanta Opera is focused on increasing its dynamic community impact through purposeful visionary strategy and careful growth.
Company History
Our History
Atlanta’s taste for opera began in the early years of the 1900’s with the Metropolitan Opera’s annual week-long tour to Atlanta. Performing at the Auditorium-Armory, the fabulous Fox Theatre and finally the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center, the Metropolitan Opera’s annual tour was a major social event. Every night of the week featured the performance of a different opera starring opera legends including Enrico Caruso, Leontyne Price, and later, Luciano Pavarotti. The audience included a who’s who of Atlantans and was celebrated with posh parties at the Georgian Terrace, Piedmont Driving Club and other upscale venues.
In 1979, the Atlanta Civic Opera was born, a result of a merger between two competing entities, Atlanta Lyric Opera and Georgia Opera. The first artistic director was noted composer Thomas Pasatieri. The company’s first production was The Seagull on Friday, March 14, 1980 at the Fox Theatre. The following December, a festive gala was held in Symphony Hall with such noted young artists as Catherine Malfitano, Jerry Hadley and Samuel Ramey. In 1985, the company was renamed to The Atlanta Opera.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Molly Blank Big Tent Series 2020-21
The Atlanta Opera has rolled out an imaginative new season beginning in the fall of 2020 along with an innovative new open-air venue to create a season of exceptional music and storytelling while prioritizing the health and safety of its audiences, performers and backstage personnel.
Drawing on the successful experimentation of the company’s critically acclaimed Discoveries series of smaller, seldom seen works performed in exciting venues, along with the company’s charge to “Reimagine Opera,” Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun has built a season that pairs well-known chamber operas with more experimental and often satirically-biting choices.
The reimagined 2020-21 season, and the Molly Blank Big Tent Series, will include six productions overall and opens in October with Leoncavallo’s iconic Pagliacci performed in repertory with the biting satire of The Kaiser of Atlantis. Each production will have nine performances, alternating nightly, for a total of 18 performances. Both productions will be performed at Oglethorpe University, on historic Anderson Field in Hermance Stadium, beginning Oct. 22 and closing on Nov. 14.
The Molly Blank Big Tent Series will be performed in a custom-made tent without walls, allowing fresh air to wash through the venue at all times while still providing audiences with protection from the weather. The venue will have capacity for up to 240 audience members. Mobile and flexible, the new venue will become a part of the immersive experience designed to draw audiences into the performances.
Safety protocols and procedures were developed by a Health & Safety Advisory Task Force of epidemiologists, public health specialists, and doctors assembled to advise the company on its health and safety protocols. The task force membership includes Dr. Carlos del Rio, Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Emory University, and John Haupert, president and CEO of Atlanta’s Grady Health System and Vice Chair of Georgia’s Department of Public Health.
Benefits
Four free tickets for each show run.
Meet and work with international opera artists.