Support Opera Wilmington

Since its launch in the spring of 2014, Opera Wilmington has provided an enhancement to the Wilmington area’s lively artistic and cultural offerings. Within its first decade, Opera Wilmington has established itself as a cultural keystone in the coastal Carolina region as a fully staged professional opera company, becoming the resident opera company of University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2017.

Opera Wilmington’s benefit to the region goes beyond its successful operatic productions. We also broaden our reach with themed concerts at local restaurants and with outreach concerts at schools and community centers. We perform pop-up mini concerts at locales ranging from art galleries to retail establishments, with programs that include selections from Broadway and films.

Each February we present our Caterina Jarboro Memorial Symposium and Concert, a tribute to Wilmington-born Jarboro who was the first diva of color to sing a major role with a white opera company in the United States. Her debut as Aida in 1933 at the New York Hippodrome predated Marian Anderson’s first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera by 22 years.

We want to discover and develop more Caterina Jarboros in our region! We encourage young people with talent and interest to participate in our June Opera Camp, where they will help with costume making and set construction. In addition to learning stagecraft, they will receive voice lessons and prepare to take part in our summer production.

Reaching new audiences is key to Opera Wilmington’s growth and vitality. Your generous support ensures that we can continue to flourish, serving longtime opera fans as well as new ones.

Although we are affiliated with the university, Opera Wilmington continues to operate as an independent 501(3)(c) charitable organization with our own board of directors. Your tax-deductible contribution and support is vital to our mission of providing excellence in operatic performance, community outreach and education.

Please help us raise the curtain as we cultivate new generations of opera lovers!