The History

Opera Carolina is the premiere professional opera company in the Carolinas, presenting four main stage productions, the annual Valentine’s Concert – Love Notes, and acclaimed Education & Outreach Programs that reach more than 75,000 citizens in North Carolina, South Carolina and northern Georgia each year.

The 2009/2010 season is exciting on so many levels. The season opens with the beloved La bohème in January 2010 followed by a special edition of Love Notes to benefit Opera Carolina and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. The season continues with Carmen starring opera superstar Denyce Graves in a new production opposite one of America’s leading tenors, Carl Tanner. The season comes to a close in May with our first production of Verdi’s tour-de-force Otello, based on Shakespeare’s Othello, starring one of America’s leading tenors, Carl Tanner making his debut in the title role.

Our region’s best performers along with the Opera Carolina Chorus, join the roster of fantastic guest artists who will bring this tremendous season to life for newcomers and opera lovers alike.

There are many elements to our website that will help make your experience at the opera fulfilling, so have fun navigating through the stories, composer backgrounds, special features, musical excerpts, libretti, and artist information.

See you at the Opera!



James Meena
General Director & Principal Conductor

About Us

Founded in 1948 as a Charlotte Music Club project by a small group of volunteers with a budget of $125, Opera Carolina today is the largest professional opera company in the Carolinas. Opera Carolina is the product of a 1986 merger of the Charlotte Opera Association and North Carolina Opera, combining mainstage, educational, and touring operations.

Opera Carolina’s current annual operating budget is $3.5 million.

The mission of Opera Carolina is:

To inspire the region’s diverse community through the presentation of excellent Opera, Operetta, Music Theatre and Education & Outreach Programs that elevate the quality of life in the Carolinas.

Opera Carolina's vision is to be the premiere professional opera company in the South, encompassing a level of performance and community service that inspires the general population. We envision:

  • Opera Carolina performances as being sought-after events by a socially and culturally diverse population that values the quality of our productions and the interesting, balanced repertoire we present.
  • Opera Carolina as being an acknowledged leader in the opera field itself by maximizing our financial resources to present opera performances of the highest quality.
  • A company that is actively engaged in the community, offering unique, diverse and sometimes challenging performances and presentations.
  • A company that makes a quantitative and qualitative difference in the education of young people, and that enriches the curriculum of schools in the region.

The mainstage season is presented at the Belk Theater of the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center located in uptown Charlotte. In addition, Opera Carolina’s acclaimed Education & Outreach Programs educate and entertain thousands of students and their families in North Carolina and South Carolina annually.

Opera Carolina is a member of OPERA America, Inc., and receives funds from the Arts & Science Council/Charlotte-Mecklenburg, the North Carolina Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Arts & Science Council