We’re the area’s premier opera resource!

Opera Wilmington invites you to enjoy our live performances and educational outreach programs. We believe opera is for everyone, and strive to help audiences of all ages and all backgrounds enjoy this most complete performing arts experience.

Our Creation

Founded in ­­­­2013 as the area’s only live, fully staged professional opera company, Opera Wilmington has become a cultural touchstone in the coastal Carolina region. Artistic Director Nancy King, along with a board of dedicated community supporters and devoted opera lovers, envisioned a dynamic company that would provide excellence in operatic performance and education.

King (a voice/opera professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington) brought together a collaborative artistic team of fellow UNCW faculty members: Assistant Artistic Director and costume designer Mark Sorenson, scenic designer Max Lydy, music director and conductor Daniel Brier, chorusmaster Aaron Peisner and choreographer Nancy Podrasky Carson.

In March 2017, Opera Wilmington became the resident company of the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Cast members include nationally emerging singers along with local talent and advanced UNCW students, and the Opera Wilmington Orchestra is composed of UNCW faculty and other professional musicians from across the state.

Our debut took place in the summer of 2014 with a sold-out production of Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow, which earned rave reviews and an outpouring of community enthusiasm.

Where to Find Us

Opera Wilmington’s performance home is the Main Stage Theater at the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Cultural Arts Building (CAB). We also perform in the CAB’s Beckwith Recital Hall.

Performances of arias and scenes throughout the year take place at various local venues, including local churches and restaurants. Outreach concerts can be arranged in schools, community centers and private homes.