Washington National Opera

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The Washington National Opera is a world-class opera company in Washington, D.C., USA. Formerly the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Performances are now given in the Opera House of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Plácido Domingo, the Spanish tenor and conductor, has served as the company's General Director since 1996, and Baayork Lee is the resident choreographer. Domingo began a significant affiliation with the Opera company in 1986, when he appeared in its world premiere production of Gian Carlo Menotti's Goya, followed by performances in a production of Tosca in the 1988/89 season. Maestro Domingo celebrated ten years as the Opera's General Director on July 1, 2006 and his contract has been extended through the 2010-2011 season. Parallel to Domingo's management of the company, he has been general manager of the Los Angeles Opera since 2001. Productions have been shared between the two companies.

1 The Opera Society
2 The Opera and Washington
3 References
4 External links

[edit] The Opera Society

The Washington National Opera was established in 1957 as the Opera Society of Washington by Day Thorpe, the music critic of the now defunct Washington Star. Paul Callaway, the choirmaster and organist of the Washington National Cathedral, was its first music director. In the early years, the company presented opera in George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium.

[edit] The Opera and Washington

Many prominent Washingtonians gravitated enthusiastically to the Opera Society and devoted years of their lives to making the Washington Opera a successful undertaking. Paul Callaway the choirmaster and organist of the Washington Cathedral was named the first music director. Some of the early contributors of both time and later financial assistance included David Lloyd Kreeger, who later became President of the Opera Board. Roger Stevens, as the Chairman of the Board of Kennedy Center invited the Washington Opera into the Kennedy Center where it remains today.

The late Martin Feinstein, one of the early directors of the Washington Opera, brought in many young singers, long before their first appearances at the Metropolitan Opera. His initiative began a Washington Opera tradition of cultivating young talent. Singers nutured through the program include Jerry Hadley and Denyce Graves.