At the intersection of
Piety and Desire

Since the final decade of the Spanish colonial era – starting in 1796 –  New Orleans has had operatic performances on almost a yearly basis. At the peak of operatic activity in the city, New Orleans had eight opera houses serving and served by all populations, and provided the US premieres of some the most popular operas still performed today, including Lucia, Elixir of Love and The Barber of Seville. In the 20th century New Orleans Opera piloted the first young artist program in 1956 with The Experimental Opera Company, and premiered works by modern American composers, including Menotti. Our scenic studio (est. 1951) continues to design, build and export sets locally and internationally, most recently we built the stage for Super Bowl LIX. Learn more about New Orleans status as the gateway city of American opera.