What We Do
Opera Omaha is a cultural resource that enriches lives and contributes to a culturally-rich community. Each year, Opera Omaha engages over 33,000 people of all ages and backgrounds through its world-class, grand opera productions at the Orpheum Theater, groundbreaking site-specific works that attract new audiences and its free community engagement and education programs including the Holland Community Opera Fellowship. This model programs engages students, individuals experiencing homelessness, incarcerated youth, hospital patients and thousands of other people in meaningful, artistic experiences.
Opera Omaha passionately believes that its work has never been more important or more relevant. We know the power that art has to transform lives: it brings hope and joy and connects people to each other. Opera Omaha has risen to the current challenges by adapting its programs and investing in new, innovative productions and initiatives to deliver rich artistic experiences to you and our broad community. The company’s 63rd season opened in August with a live radio broadcast of Opera Outdoors on Classical 90.7 KVNO - a concert that reached listeners throughout the region. In September, Opera Omaha helped bring MIRANDA – the world’s first live virtual reality opera – to audiences around the nation. This incredibly innovative work employed state-of-the-art technology to immerse people in the art form unlike ever before – giving audiences a window into how opera can continue to evolve and engage new generations. MIRANDA was part of the many free, virtual program offerings designed to uplift community members with the delights of opera safely from home.
Opera Omaha’s newest initiative, Opera to Go, has brought free, outdoor live performances with local artists to neighborhoods throughout our region including Turner Park, central Omaha and Lincoln. At the same time, Opera Omaha’s Holland Community Opera Fellows have continued their crucial work with community partners across the city, while also delivering live and virtual performances to engage our diverse community in meaningful, artistic experiences. These programs are leading the way for opera companies around the nation who know that service to community is the future of opera.
In February 2021, Opera Omaha will triumphantly return to the Orpheum stage for Mozart’s lively romantic comedy, The Marriage of Figaro. This beloved opera features an incredibly talented cast, and artists are thrilled to be part of the company’s return to grand opera on stage. The pandemic has impacted artists in the industry especially hard; many have lost their livelihoods and do not know when they will be able to return to their craft. The perseverance of Opera Omaha has been a beacon of hope for many talented individuals, and the company is grateful to have been able to honor its financial commitments even when the spread of COVID-19 forced the cancelation of the company’s entire spring ONE Festival.
Opera Omaha is reliant upon the generosity of the community. With this support, Opera Omaha will continue to serve tens of thousands of people this season, and for many to come.
