The Orlando Opera was a professional American regional opera company located in Orlando, Florida. Founded in 1958, the company ceased operations in 2009 because of financial problems. The opera performed multiple times a year in the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre and other venues in the central Florida region. For many years, until its own demise, the Florida Symphony Orchestra was the orchestra for the Orlando Opera. Eventually, the Junior League was replaced by an Opera Guild formed with the support of the Florida Symphony Orchestra. During the Opera Guild's early seasons, only concert arias were produced and then gradually staged opera scenes were performed. In 1977 the Opera Guild became the Orlando Opera and in 1979, the Orlando Opera Co, Inc. was established as a non profit corporation. By then, the company typically presented three full opera productions per season. In 1980, Luciano Pavarotti appeared before an audience of 11,000 at the Orange County Convention Center. The Orlando Opera's board of trustees voted to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 24, 2009. The company had one remaining liability, $200,000 received from subscribers for the canceled upcoming 2009-2010 season.
General Directors
- Richard R. Owens 1984-1990
- Robert Swedberg 1990-2007
President & Chief Executive Officer
- Jim Ireland 2006-2009
- Alfred Savia, Music Director 1980-1983
- Cornelius Eberhardt
- William Huckaby
- Anton Coppola
- Karen Keltner
- Doris Lang Kosloff