Kostis Protopapas to Depart Tulsa Opera at the End of 2015-16 Season

The Tulsa Opera Board of Directors announces that Artistic Director Kostis Protopapas will depart the company at the end of the 2015-16 Season.

"Kostis has been a valued member of the Tulsa Opera family for the past forteen years, and the company has benefitted tremendously from his artistry, vision and superb conducting skills," said Tulsa Opera Board President John Woodard. "I know that he will continue to make his mark in the world of opera and classical music in his future endeavors, and I value his counsel as we transition to a new leadership model."

Protopapas joined Tulsa Opera as Associate Conductor and Chorus Master in 2002 and took the reins as Artistic Director in 2008. He made his conducting debut with the 2005 production of Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci and has been at the podium for more than 20 Tulsa Opera productions. Of his 2011 performance of The Barber of Seville, The New Yorker wrote, "Most impressive was the fluid idiomatic playing of the orchestra... In any city, it's rare to find a conductor that sets the right tempo so consistently."

Protopapas' tenure is notable for his commitment to maintaining Tulsa Opera's international reputation for artistic excellence and for expanding the company's repertoire with an emphasis on American opera, including acclaimed productions of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking, Robert Aldridge's Elmer Gantry and Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men. He also expanded Tulsa Opera Studio, the company's artist-in-residence training program, and served as a tireless ambassador for the arts and arts education.

Protopapas will serve as Artistic Director and Conductor for Tulsa Opera's upcoming productions of Andre Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire on March 4 and 6 and Camille Saint- Saens' Samson and Delilah on May 6 and 8, both in the Chapman Music Hall of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

Founded in 1948, Tulsa Opera is the 16th oldest opera company in North America and the oldest professional performing arts organization in Oklahoma. The company's storied history and reputation for artistic excellence led Opera News magazine to name Tulsa Opera as one of its Top 10 favorite regional opera companies. Numerous opera superstars have graced the Tulsa Opera stage, including Luciano Pavarotti, Beverly Sills, Simon Estes, Samuel Ramey and, more recently, Stephanie Blythe and Joyce DiDonato. The company is also renowned for spotlighting rising stars, such as Oklahoma's own Sarah Coburn and Lauren McNeese.

Tulsa Opera is celebrating its 68th Anniversary Season. Upcoming productions include the Oklahoma premiere of Oscar-winning composer Andre? Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire on March 4 and 6 and the grand opera Samson and Delilah on May 6 and 8, both in the Chapman Music Hall of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Tulsa Opera Studio, the company's young artist-in-residence program, will present a chamber performance of Daniel Catan's Florence in the Amazon on March 20 at Philbrook Museum of Art. Tulsa Youth Opera, the opera's flagship educational program for students in grades 3-12, will present Dean Burry's The Hobbit June 18 and 19 as a part of SummerStage Tulsa.