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For nearly half a century, Toledo Opera,
northwest Ohio's only fully professional regional opera company,
has fulfilled its mission of providing professional performances
of grand opera and Broadway national tours at reasonable prices
to citizens in northwest and west central Ohio, as well as
providing an impressive array of education and outreach programs.
Founded by a group of visionary community
leaders in 1959, Toledo Opera opened its first season with
Verdi's monumental Aida in the 3,500-seat Paramount
Theater in downtown Toledo. Two years later the company moved
to the Peristyle Theater at The Toledo Museum of Art and since
that time has performed in both the 1,700-seat Peristyle Auditorium
and the 2,400-seat Stranahan Theater. In 1987 the company incorporated
educational programs for schools, community centers, and civic
and service organizations in its quest to reach a wider audience.
The education of subsequent generations, and their appreciation
for the performing arts, is now a major component of the Toledo
Opera mission.
In 1990 Toledo Opera incorporated touring
Broadway shows into its performance series to expand the company's
service base and to ensure that this valued entertainment option
remained viable in northwest Ohio. With the 1995-96 season,
the Opera took another step in its development as a quality
regional opera company and valued community resource by presenting
the world premiere performances of American composer Jay Pouhe's
opera Pantomime. In the following season the company
presented the regional premiere of Bellini's spectacular grand
opera, Norma.
In September 1997 Toledo Opera successfully
completed its first-ever capital campaign, raising $1.65 million
to match a $1 million challenge from a former board chairman.
The endowment fund thus created has ensured the financial stability
of Toledo Opera and provided opportunities for further artistic
growth. In October 1999 Toledo Opera opened its Fortieth Anniversary
Season as the primary performing arts organization in the newly
recreated 900-seat Valentine Theatre in downtown Toledo. Toledo
Opera is now universally recognized as one of the major cultural
institutions in northwest Ohio and one of the greatest regional
opera companies in the United States.
The appointment in of Renay Conlin as General
Director ushered in a new era for Toledo Opera. Ticket sales,
both subscription and single, soared to new heights in the
2002-2003 season. For the first time in the company's history
the annual Opera Gala Concert sold out, as Ms. Conlin changed
its format from recitals to themed events such as Opera
Goes to the Movies and A Night in Old Vienna.
In 2003-2004 a fourth staged opera was added to the season:
Six performances of Gian-Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the
Night Visitors were enjoyed by large audiences of families
during the holidays.
Ms. Conlin's success in programming contemporary
operas, many by American composers, along with traditional
favorites from the popular repertoire, has made Toledo Opera
a more lively component of the area's arts community. Her policy
of opening dress rehearsals to school children and college
students has introduced the wonders of opera to a generation
who otherwise receive little or no exposure to performing arts.
Ms. Conlin's vision for Toledo Opera's future combines growth
in artistic excellence, a gradual increase in the Opera's offerings
to the public, and continued enhancement to the quality of
life in the region. |
