Arizona Opera
A professional opera company presenting productions and related musical programs in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Arizona Opera is a nonprofit professional opera company serving audiences in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. Founded in Tucson in 1971 as the Tucson Opera Company under founding general director James P. Sullivan, it produced its first opera, Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville, in 1972. The organization expanded into Phoenix in 1976 and subsequently developed a two-city operating model, eventually establishing its permanent headquarters in Phoenix. The company presents a regular season of staged opera productions in both metropolitan areas. Its performance infrastructure has included the Herberger Theater Center and Symphony Hall in Phoenix, together with the Temple of Music and Art and the Tucson Convention Center Music Hall in Tucson. Arizona Opera's programming has combined widely performed works from the standard repertory with less frequently staged operas, new American works, recitals, concerts, and educational or community-oriented activities. The organization has typically structured its season around five productions, although the presentation format has evolved over time. A major period of expansion began with the appointment of Glynn Ross as general director in 1983. During Ross's tenure, the company grew from three productions per season to five and attracted wider attention through large-scale presentations of Wagner's Ring Cycle in Flagstaff in 1996 and 1998. David Speers, who led the company from 1998 to 2003, emphasized additional rehearsal resources and investment in the chorus and orchestra. His administration also brought prominent recital artists to Arizona and supported the continued development of the Arizona Opera Orchestra. Joel Revzen became artistic director, general director, and principal conductor in 2003. His programming continued to balance canonical works with pieces such as Menotti's The Consul, Brecht and Weill's The Threepenny Opera, and Handel's Semele. Revzen also introduced Arias concerts, in which guest soloists performed operatic excerpts with the Arizona Opera Orchestra in a concert setting. He later became conductor laureate, and the Joel and Cindy Revzen Atrium at the Arizona Opera Center was named in recognition of the couple. The organization has also invested in original production and new-work development. In 2017 it presented the world premiere of Craig Bohmler's Riders of the Purple Sage, adapted from Zane Grey's novel. The production subsequently received radio distribution in the United States and international distribution through the European Broadcasting Union. In 2021, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of the planned live season, Arizona Opera developed Clint Borzoni's The Copper Queen as a filmed opera project rather than a conventional stage production. The resulting film was shown in selected Phoenix-area theaters and later made available online. Arizona Opera's artistic workforce includes a professional chorus and orchestra. The chorus has been represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists since 1995, while orchestra musicians are represented by the American Federation of Musicians Local 586. The company and orchestra operate under collective bargaining arrangements. Arizona Opera's identity is therefore rooted in regional cultural service: it acts as a producing opera company, an employer of professional artists, a presenter of established and new repertoire, and a bridge between the Phoenix and Tucson arts communities.
History
Arizona Opera was established in 1971 in Tucson as the Tucson Opera Company. James P. Sullivan served as its founding general director, and the organization presented its first production, Rossini's The Barber of Seville, in 1972. The company expanded to Phoenix in 1976, creating the two-city service model that remains central to its identity. Although founded in Tucson, the company later made Phoenix its permanent headquarters. Richard J. Woitach succeeded Sullivan for a short period before Glynn Ross became general director in 1983. Ross's fifteen-year administration was an important growth phase. The company expanded its regular season from three productions to five and gained regional attention for ambitious presentations of Wagner's Ring Cycle in Flagstaff during summer festivals in 1996 and 1998. Ross retired in 1998 and was succeeded by David Speers. Speers focused on production quality, increasing attention to rehearsals, the chorus, and the orchestra. During his tenure, subscriptions and single-ticket sales grew, and the company presented recital appearances by prominent singers including Samuel Ramey, Kiri Te Kanawa, Denyce Graves, and Jerry Hadley. The company also continued to develop its orchestra as a professional ensemble serving performances across Arizona. Speers left Arizona Opera in 2003. Joel Revzen was appointed artistic director, general director, and principal conductor in 2003. A Juilliard-trained musician with experience on the conducting staff of the Metropolitan Opera, Revzen maintained a repertory policy that paired familiar works with less commonly performed pieces. His period included productions of Menotti's The Consul, Brecht and Weill's The Threepenny Opera, and Handel's Semele, as well as appearances by internationally recognized opera artists. Revzen created the Arias concert format, featuring soloists with the Arizona Opera Orchestra. He later became conductor laureate, and the company's Arizona Opera Center includes an atrium named for Joel and Cindy Revzen. Scott Altman became general director in 2009. His administration oversaw the design and construction of the Arizona Opera Center, a headquarters and production complex located near the Phoenix Art Museum. Altman resigned in 2013. Artistic director Ryan Taylor first served as interim general director and was then appointed to the position permanently in June 2013. Joseph Specter became general director in 2016 and led the company through a period that included changes to seasonal presentation and the operational challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. In late 2017, Arizona Opera announced that it would retain five productions while reorganizing the season into two distinct series. The company also strengthened its profile as a presenter of new opera. From February through May 2017, it presented the world premiere of Craig Bohmler's Riders of the Purple Sage, adapted from Zane Grey's Western novel. The production was subsequently broadcast through the WFMT Radio Network's American Opera Series and distributed internationally through the European Broadcasting Union. The pandemic forced cancellation of the company's planned 2020 season, including the scheduled premiere of Clint Borzoni's The Copper Queen. Rather than abandon the project, Arizona Opera developed it as a purpose-made opera film. The cast, production team, and Arizona Opera Orchestra recorded and filmed the work in 2021. The film received selected theatrical screenings in the Phoenix area around Halloween and was later offered through online streaming. Arizona Opera's artistic operations rely on a professional chorus and orchestra drawn from Arizona and, for the orchestra, from outside the state. The chorus has been affiliated with the American Guild of Musical Artists since 1995. Orchestra musicians are represented by American Federation of Musicians Local 586, and the orchestra is associated with the Regional Orchestra Players' Association. In 2025, Brian DeMaris was appointed President and General Director. The company's continuing role is to produce opera for Phoenix and Tucson while supporting professional musicians, presenting both established repertory and new works, and experimenting with alternative formats when circumstances require.
- 2025
Brian DeMaris becomes President and General Director
[3]Brian DeMaris succeeded Joseph Specter as the company's President and General Director.
- 2021
The Copper Queen released as an opera film
[1]The company filmed and presented Clint Borzoni's The Copper Queen after pandemic-related cancellation of its planned stage premiere.
- 2017
Riders of the Purple Sage premieres
[1]Arizona Opera presented the world premiere of Craig Bohmler's opera based on Zane Grey's novel.
- 2013
Joel Revzen named conductor laureate
[1]After his general-director tenure, Joel Revzen was named conductor laureate.
- 2013
Arizona Opera Center completed
[1]The company established a new office and production complex in midtown Phoenix.
- 1998
Second Flagstaff Ring Cycle festival
[1]Arizona Opera returned to Flagstaff for another summer presentation of Wagner's Ring Cycle.
- 1996
First Flagstaff Ring Cycle festival
[1]The company presented Wagner's Ring Cycle as a summer festival in Flagstaff.
- 1995
Chorus gains union representation
[1]The Arizona Opera Chorus became affiliated with the American Guild of Musical Artists.
- 1983
Glynn Ross begins growth period
[1]Glynn Ross became general director and oversaw expansion from three to five productions per season.
- 1976
Expansion to Phoenix
[1]Arizona Opera expanded its performance activities beyond Tucson to include Phoenix.
Products and positioning
A professional regional opera company combining standard repertory, less frequently performed works, new American opera, orchestral collaboration, and service to audiences in both Phoenix and Tucson.
Opera season
Main Stage Series
The company's principal staged-opera presentation series, traditionally associated with spring performances in Phoenix and Tucson. It uses large performing-arts venues and presents full productions with professional singers, chorus, orchestra, conductors, designers, and production crews.
Opera season · 2017
McDougall Arizona Opera RED Series
A distinct fall performance series created as part of Arizona Opera's revised seasonal structure. Performances have been associated with the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix and the Temple of Music and Art in Tucson, offering opera in venues smaller than the company's principal concert halls.
Concert series
Arias
A concert format initiated during Joel Revzen's administration. Soloists perform opera arias and related excerpts in a concert setting, accompanied by the Arizona Opera Orchestra on stage rather than appearing within a fully staged production.
New opera · 2017
Riders of the Purple Sage
Craig Bohmler's opera adapted from Zane Grey's novel. Arizona Opera presented its world premiere in 2017, subsequently extending the work's reach through radio and international broadcast distribution.
Opera film · 2021
The Copper Queen
Clint Borzoni's opera, originally planned for live presentation during the 2020 season. After the pandemic cancellation, Arizona Opera produced it as a dedicated film project, with the cast, crew, and orchestra recording the work for theatrical and online release in 2021.
Brand decisions
2020
Conversion of The Copper Queen from stage production to filmOtherBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic caused cancellation of the planned 2020 season, including the scheduled production of Clint Borzoni's The Copper Queen.
Action taken
Arizona Opera developed the work as a purpose-made opera film, recording and filming the cast, crew, and orchestra in 2021.
Aftermath
The completed film received selected Phoenix-area theatrical screenings and later became available through online streaming.
2017
Reorganization of the season into two performance seriesStrategyBackground
Arizona Opera retained a five-production season but determined that its traditional fall and spring model should be presented as two more clearly differentiated series.
Action taken
The company announced the McDougall Arizona Opera RED Series for fall performances and a Main Stage Series for spring presentations.
Aftermath
The change preserved the scale of the regular season while creating a clearer distinction between the company's fall and spring offerings.
Sources3 sources
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