Background Statement
In 1980, a group of local opera fans got together to discuss the need for an opera company in Denver. While there were several regional companies in existence, the goal was to establish a major production company that could bring opera to audiences in the area. The group soon attracted Nathaniel Merrill and Louise Sherman, two veterans of the Metropolitan Opera. Opera Colorado’s first season opened on April 4, 1983, with Verdi’s Otello, which ran for three performances and featured internationally-acclaimed tenor James McCracken. The company also performed Puccini’s La Bohème, starring world-renowned tenor Plácido Domingo, during its first season.
In 2002, under the leadership of then President and General Director Peter Russell, Opera Colorado helped push for and win the bond issue to restore and renovate the 1908 Auditorium Theater to create the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The hall was unveiled on September 10, 2005, with a star-studded gala concert featuring Renée Fleming, Ben Heppner, and James Morris. The season that followed kicked off with a production of Bizet’s Carmen, starring Denyce Graves and Beth Clayton, who alternated in the title role.
In 2017, Opera Colorado moved into the Opera Center in Englewood, a 7,500 sq.ft. office and rehearsal space that allows the administrative and artistic sides of the company to coexist under the same roof.
The 2024-25 Season marked a pivotal leadership transition. After 20 years of visionary service, Greg Carpenter stepped down as The Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director, effective May 30, 2025. Following a national search, Opera Colorado’s Board of Directors appointed Barbara Lynne Jamison as the organization’s next leader. She brings a strong commitment to civic engagement and a proven record of connecting communities with opera in bold and meaningful ways. In addition, Opera Colorado will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Music Director, Ari Pelto. For the 2025-26, Opera Colorado is presenting two grand opera productions— Verdi’s La Traviata and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly— at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House to over 20,000 patrons, maintaining a strong artistic presence in the city of Denver.