For a list of shows from the Opera's history visit here.

In 1976, Artistic Director Philip Bayles and over 100 volunteer musicians, singers, stagehands and opera fans
combined their efforts to bring opera to Eugene, Oregon. The first production (Carmen) played to a “full house”
of 600 attendees in a local high school auditorium. A local newspaper reporter remarked, "It's a first effort to be
proud of, for it has proven that Eugene is loaded with high-quality musicians and opera-hungry concert goers."

Six years later, in 1982, EUGENE OPERA became a resident company in the newly opened Hult Center for the
Performing Arts. It endured its share of hard times, however, during the early-1990s, when its debt exceeded
$340,000. Sound business practices and increased community support eliminated the debt within five years.
It has since been profiled nationally on National Public Radio and in Opera News and featured a cameo
appearance by humorist Dave Barry in its 1995 production of Gianni Schicchi.

Since then, EUGENE OPERA has grown significantly:
  • it attracted crowds in excess of 12,000 annually, from Eugene as well as throughout the state of Oregon;

  • it helped launch the careers of such current opera stars as Deborah Voit, Susan Graham, Stephen Mark Brown, Kelley Nassief, and Gregory Turay; and Lucas Meacham.

  • it developed an educational outreach program that brought opera to classrooms throughout the surrounding Lane County area.
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EUGENE OPERA has enjoyed considerable community support, as evidenced by its consistently strong attendance
numbers and private donor support. In addition, it enjoys the backing of numerous public and business supporters,
some of which include the Oregon Arts Commission, Molecular Probes, KeyBank and Union Bank of California. These
financial commitments have enabled EUGENE OPERA to set its sights higher, to further educate current and future
audiences and to exert a greater influence on the future of the art form.



EUGENE OPERA'S mission is to produce the highest quality opera consistent with the company's ability to
nurture available resources; to work to increase the audience for opera; to identify and engage emerging
artists of professional potential; to contribute to the future of the art form; and to develop educational programs
for the community-at-large, schools and young artists.



EUGENE OPERA celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2006-2007 with its new production of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, the most successful production in the company's history. The Register-Guard said in its review of PIRATES, "with this fine production, Eugene Opera announced the beginning of a new era." This new era continued with 2007-2008's critically acclaimed productions of THE MAGIC FLUTE and MADAMA BUTTERFLY. Under the direction of Executive Director Philip Piele and Artistic Director Mark Beudert, EUGENE OPERA eagerly looks forward to our 2008-2009 season, featuring a new production of Offenbach's sparkling operetta ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD (a Eugene first), an innovative semi-staged version of Verdi's romantic IL TROVATORE (another Eugene first), and Mozart's DON GIOVANNI, in a new production staged by Fabrizio Melano of the Metropolitan Opera, and featuring the young American star Michael Todd Simpson in the title role. We welcome opera lovers old and new to these special productions, and look forward to celebrating the magic of opera for many years to come!