Our History

Washington Concert Opera is a professional concert opera company offering internationally acclaimed singers, professional musicians, and choruses in concert versions of rarely heard, full-length operatic works.  Founded in 1986 by Stephen Crout and since 2002 led by Artistic Director and Conductor Antony Walker (Music Director of Pittsburgh Opera and Co-artistic director of Pinchgut Opera in Sydney, Australia), Washington Concert Opera has presented more than 40 operas in a concert format, featuring world-class singers who regularly appear on the most renowned opera house stages—the Metropolitan Opera; La Scala; Opera Bastille (Paris), and the Royal Opera House (Covent Garden).  The roster of artists the company has brought, and often introduced, to local audiences includes Renee Fleming, Jennifer Larmore,  John Reylea, Stephanie Blythe, Elizabeth Futral, Ben Heppner, Deborah Voigt, James Morris, Alessandra Marc, Denyce Graves, Sumi Jo, Richard Leech, Guisippe Filianoti, Vivica Genaux, James Valenti, and Jerry Hadley.  Young artists also made their area debuts with WCO to critical acclaim such as, in recent seasons, Sarah Coburn, Celena Shafter, and Lawrence Brownlee, winner of the 2006 Richard Tucker and Marian Anderson Awards.

Washington Concert Opera’s distinctive repertoire—consisting of operas which either have not been presented recently in the Washington area, or in general are infrequently performed, or represent extraordinary opportunities to showcase renowned artists in performance—provides audiences with a unique musical experience.
Washington Concert Opera has repeatedly and consistently been acclaimed in the local, national, and international press as one of the finest in the field, having been designated by critics as “integral to the musical fabric of this city” (Washington Post) and praised as offering “…performances of the highest order” (Opera News).

Washington Concert Opera participates in CultureCapital.  Your link to the Arts in Metro DC.