Palm Beach Opera facts for kids

Palm Beach Opera is a professional opera company located in West Palm Beach, Florida. It brings amazing opera performances to South Florida. The company often performs at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

History of Palm Beach Opera

Palm Beach Opera started a long time ago, in 1961. It was first known as "Civic Opera of the Palm Beaches." When it first began, the company put on one opera show each year. Over time, it grew bigger and more popular. By the mid-1990s, Palm Beach Opera was performing four full opera productions every season.

Exciting Performances

Palm Beach Opera is known for its exciting shows. They perform classic operas and sometimes new ones.

Opera @ The Waterfront

In 2013, Palm Beach Opera held a very special event. It was a large, free outdoor concert called "Opera @ The Waterfront." This concert was a huge success. Nearly 100 performers were on stage. It became the biggest outdoor classical music event in Palm Beach County. Many people enjoyed listening to beautiful music under the open sky.

New and Classic Operas

Palm Beach Opera has also presented new works. During the 2014/2015 season, the company performed its very first world premiere. A world premiere is the first time an opera is ever shown to an audience. This new opera was called "Enemies, A Love Story." It had music by Ben Moore and words by Nahma Sandrow. The story was based on a book by Isaac Bashevis Singer.

That same season, they also performed two famous classic operas. These were Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohème" and Gaetano Donizetti's "The Daughter of the Regiment." These are well-loved operas that audiences enjoy.

Leaders of the Opera Company

Over the years, many talented people have led Palm Beach Opera. In the 1980s, a person named Joseph H. Conlin was in charge. He helped guide the company. Later, Anton Guadagno became the company's director. He led Palm Beach Opera for many years, from 1984 until 2002.