Portland Opera
An American opera company based in Portland, Oregon, presenting staged opera, premieres, and a separate touring Broadway-musical subscription series.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Portland Opera is a professional opera company based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Its performances are presented primarily at Keller Auditorium and the Newmark Theatre, venues within the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to its opera programming, the organization produces a separate subscription series of touring Broadway musicals, also staged at Keller Auditorium. This combination gives Portland Opera a broader performing-arts role than a company focused exclusively on standard operatic repertory. The organization was founded in 1964 as the Portland Opera Association by conductor Henry Holt. Dorothea Marie Lensch, identified as the first recreation director of Portland Parks & Recreation, was also a founding member. The company's first production was Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus, which was the only opera presented during its inaugural season. Holt served as general director for the company's first two years, establishing the administrative and artistic foundation for the new organization. Portland Opera's subsequent leadership included Austrian conductor Herbert Weiskopf, who became general director after Holt and died of a heart attack in March 1970 after conducting a performance of Lucia di Lammermoor. Conductor Stefan Minde then led the company until 1984. He was followed by Robert Bailey, a stage director and National Public Radio's first director of culture programming, who served as general director until 2003. Stage director Christopher Mattaliano succeeded Bailey in 2003 and held the position through 2019. Susan (Sue) Dixon was appointed general director in October 2019 and became the first woman to hold that position in the company's 56-year history. The company has been associated with programming innovation as well as conventional operatic repertory. Portland Opera was among the early opera companies to introduce surtitles, improving accessibility for audiences by displaying translated or otherwise explanatory text during performances. It has also presented world and United States premieres, including works by Bernard Herrmann, Christopher Drobny, Reynaldo Hahn, and William Bolcom. These premieres reflect an interest in expanding the repertory beyond the most familiar canonical titles while maintaining a major-performance platform in Portland. In October 2014, Portland Opera announced a revised production format. Some productions would continue to be staged at Keller Auditorium, while others would be organized in a summer-festival format, with three operas presented at the smaller Newmark Theatre. The change represented a programming and venue strategy intended to vary the scale and structure of the season. George Manahan served as music director from 2012 through 2021. In September 2021, Portland Opera announced the appointment of Damien Geter as interim music director, effective immediately. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Portland Opera Association received a federally backed Paycheck Protection Program loan of $1 million from First Republic Bank. The organization said the funding would enable it to retain 73 jobs. Portland Opera is therefore best understood as an active regional opera institution whose work spans opera production, new and historically underrepresented repertory, musical-theater presentation, and the operation of a substantial performing-arts organization in Portland.
History
Portland Opera was established in 1964 as the Portland Opera Association by conductor Henry Holt. Dorothea Marie Lensch, the first recreation director of Portland Parks & Recreation, was among the organization's founding members. Its inaugural production was Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus, the sole opera presented in the first season. Holt served as general director during the company's first two years. The next general director was Austrian conductor Herbert Weiskopf. His tenure ended with his death from a heart attack in March 1970 after he conducted a performance of Lucia di Lammermoor. Conductor Stefan Minde subsequently assumed leadership and remained general director until 1984. Robert Bailey followed Minde. Bailey was a stage director and had also been National Public Radio's first director of culture programming; he led Portland Opera until 2003. Stage director Christopher Mattaliano became general director in 2003 and served through 2019. In October of that year, Susan (Sue) Dixon was appointed general director. She was the first woman to occupy the post in the company's 56-year history. The music-director position was held by George Manahan from 2012 to 2021. In September 2021, Portland Opera announced Damien Geter as interim music director, with the appointment taking effect immediately. The company has operated from Portland's principal performing-arts venues, with productions presented at Keller Auditorium and the Newmark Theatre, both part of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Its programming has included traditional opera, new works, and premiere performances. Portland Opera was an early adopter of surtitles, helping audiences follow translated text during productions. Its documented premieres include an abridged world premiere of Bernard Herrmann's Wuthering Heights in 1982, Christopher Drobny's Lucy's Lapses in 1990, the United States premiere of Reynaldo Hahn's Le marchand de Venise in 1996, and the West Coast premiere of William Bolcom's A View from the Bridge in 2003. In October 2014, the company announced a change in the format of its productions. Rather than presenting every production in the same manner, it planned to place some works at Keller Auditorium and organize others as part of a summer festival, with three operas at the Newmark Theatre. Portland Opera also produces a separate subscription series of touring Broadway musicals at Keller Auditorium, extending its activities into musical theater and broadening its audience proposition. The COVID-19 pandemic created financial and employment pressures for performing-arts organizations. During this period, the Portland Opera Association received a $1 million Paycheck Protection Program loan from First Republic Bank. The company stated that the assistance would allow it to retain 73 jobs. The available reference material does not establish a later financial outcome or provide a confirmed current season profile, but the organization is identified as an active opera company headquartered in Portland.
- 2021
Damien Geter appointed interim music director
[1]Damien Geter was appointed interim music director after George Manahan's tenure ended.
- 2019
Susan Dixon appointed general director
[1]Susan Dixon became general director and the first woman to hold the role in the company's history.
- 2014
Production format reorganized
[1]Portland Opera announced a split format combining Keller Auditorium productions with a summer festival of three operas at the Newmark Theatre.
- 2003
West Coast premiere of A View from the Bridge
[1]The company presented the West Coast premiere of William Bolcom's A View from the Bridge.
- 1996
United States premiere of Le marchand de Venise
[1]Portland Opera staged the United States premiere of Reynaldo Hahn's Le marchand de Venise, or The Merchant of Venice.
- 1990
World premiere of Lucy's Lapses
[1]The company presented the world premiere of Christopher Drobny's Lucy's Lapses.
- 1982
World premiere of Wuthering Heights
[1]Portland Opera presented the world premiere of an abridged version of Bernard Herrmann's Wuthering Heights.
- 1970
Herbert Weiskopf dies after conducting Lucia di Lammermoor
[1]General director Herbert Weiskopf died of a heart attack in March 1970 after conducting a performance of Lucia di Lammermoor.
- 1964
Portland Opera founded
[1]Henry Holt founded the Portland Opera Association in Portland, Oregon, with Dorothea Marie Lensch among the founding members.
- 1964
First production
[1]The company opened with Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus, the only opera presented during its inaugural season.
Products and positioning
A Portland-based professional opera company combining mainstage opera, premiere presentations, venue-flexible festival programming, and touring Broadway musicals.
Opera performance · 1964
Mainstage opera productions
Portland Opera's core offering is staged opera presented in Portland, principally at Keller Auditorium and the Newmark Theatre. Its repertory has included established works as well as premieres and less frequently performed pieces. The company has also been associated with surtitles, helping audiences follow translated or explanatory text during performances.
Opera festival · 2014
Summer festival opera series
Under the production-format changes announced in 2014, selected operas were organized in a summer-festival format at the Newmark Theatre. The announced structure called for three operas in the festival setting, complementing productions staged at Keller Auditorium.
Musical theater
Touring Broadway musical subscription series
Portland Opera produces a separate subscription series built around touring Broadway musicals. These performances take place at Keller Auditorium and give the organization an additional programming stream beyond opera.
Brand decisions
2020
Accepted Paycheck Protection Program support during the pandemicStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic placed employment and continuity pressures on performing-arts organizations.
Action taken
The Portland Opera Association received a $1 million federally backed Paycheck Protection Program loan from First Republic Bank.
Aftermath
Portland Opera stated that the funding would allow it to retain 73 jobs. The available material does not provide further information about loan forgiveness or subsequent financial results.
Paycheck Protection Program loan. $1 million (COVID-19 pandemic; year reported as 2020)
2014
Adopted a split venue and summer-festival production formatStrategyBackground
Portland Opera announced that its future productions would not all follow the same venue and season structure.
Action taken
The company planned to present some productions at Keller Auditorium and three operas in a summer-festival format at the Newmark Theatre.
Aftermath
The announcement established a more varied presentation model, although the available reference material does not document its longer-term operational results.
Sources2 sources
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