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A fifty-year tradition of artistic excellence and community service has made The Dallas Opera a major contributor to the national and international reputation of Dallas and a major factor in the economic impact of the arts in North Texas. The Dallas Opera has presented many international stars in their American debuts, including Dame Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballé, Jon Vickers, and Plácido Domingo, and designer/director Franco Zeffirelli. A champion of new work, The Dallas Opera has also presented the American premieres of five operas and two world premiere operas.

In 1957, Dallas leadership worked diligently to found the opera company. Chartered in March of that year, The Dallas Civic Opera opened with a performance by legendary Greek soprano Maria Callas. In time, the Opera developed a state-of-the-art Rehearsal Production Center, funded entirely by the private sector. The 69,000-square-foot Center employs the finest soundproofing and acoustical design and consolidates under one roof all of the rehearsal and staging needs of The Dallas Opera. The facility is also made available to smaller local arts groups through a partnership with the City of Dallas.

The Dallas Opera's youth education programs have garnered numerous awards over the years. Pre-kindergarten through third grade students are introduced to opera through children's touring productions, fourth- through eighth-graders attend special performances of fully-staged operas, and hundreds of teachers receive training in the use of the Opera's successful integrated curriculum materials. The Dallas Opera was selected as one of four American opera companies to participate in a pilot program through Young Audiences, Inc. Supported by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Endowment of the arts, this project will give teachers access to the best practices in opera education through CD-ROM and the Internet.

The Dallas Opera is currently positioning itself to move into a world-class lyric theater designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Foster. The Opera's new venue at the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts will be made possible by a history-making $42-million gift from Margot and Bill Winspear, for whom the opera house will be named. The Opera anticipates beginning performances in the Winspear Opera House during 2009.


online: http://www.dallasopera.org/