FLYING DUTCHMAN, SHOW BOAT and More Set for Opera Orlando 2026-27 Season
Grant Preisser renews his contract as artistic director while Melody Chang steps into the marketing director role.
Opera Orlando has announced its milestone 2026-27 season as the company celebrates its 10th anniversary, launching its second decade with a new brand identity, its most ambitious lineup of productions to date, and record-breaking artistic and financial achievements.
The company enters the new season following the most successful year in its history, surpassing $3.4 million in annual revenue through record ticket sales and donations. Opera Orlando has also advanced to Budget 2 status within OPERA America, joining organizations including Minnesota Opera and Florida Grand Opera. The company ended the season with revenue once again exceeding expenses, increasing its cash reserves to more than $370,000, while its growing endowment reached $5 million in contributions, pledges, and bequests.
"Opera Orlando's growth over the past decade reflects an impressive sense of ambition, creativity, and commitment to its community," said OPERA America President and CEO Michael J. Bobbitt. "The company has continued to expand its artistic reach, strengthen its presence in Central Florida, and build momentum for the future. This anniversary is an exciting opportunity to celebrate all that Opera Orlando has accomplished and to look ahead with confidence to its next chapter."
Coinciding with the anniversary, Opera Orlando has introduced a new logo and visual identity built around the company's signature double "O." The redesigned mark features two concentric circles sharing a single center, symbolizing both the company's initials and the resonance of opera itself.
The anniversary season will feature numerous company firsts. Opera Orlando will introduce Saturday evening performances for its MainStage productions at Steinmetz Hall and present its first-ever Wagner opera, The Flying Dutchman. Beloved classics Madame Butterfly and The Elixir of Love will also make their Steinmetz Hall premieres. Additional highlights include the company's first musical, a centennial celebration of Show Boat, and the Orlando premiere of Astor Piazzolla's tango opera María de Buenos Aires, presented in a site-specific production at 1010 West.
Education and community engagement continue to play a central role in the company's mission. During the 2026-27 season, Opera Orlando will expand its in-school touring program into Volusia County while continuing programs throughout Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. The company will also oversee the Florida District of the Metropolitan Opera's Laffont Competition, in addition to continuing its Youth Company, Apprentice Artists, and Studio Artists programs. The season concludes with Show Boat, produced in partnership with Bethune-Cookman University.
Opera Orlando's growth traces back to its founding in January 2016 with an operating budget of just $250,000. Today, the company credits its success to disciplined financial management, an expanding patron base, a committed board of directors, and leadership from brothers Gabriel Preisser, General Director, and Grant Preisser, Artistic Director, both of whom have served since the organization's inaugural season.
"These past seasons have been about building a solid foundation for opera in Orlando. Now we get to build on it," said Artistic Director Grant Preisser. "My artistic vision for the next decade is intentionally unapologetic and ambitious: staging productions that take creative risks, that speak directly to this City and our audiences, and that reach a scale the field will take notice of. But risk and scale are never the point on their own. We are not an art-for-art's-sake company. Every production at its heart is about the human experience and human connection, and that's what opera does better than any art form."
The company also announced the promotion of Melody Chang to Marketing Director after a successful season as Marketing and Sales Manager. Chang helped lead the company's marketing efforts, contributing to subscription growth that prompted the addition of Saturday evening performances.
"I'm thrilled to see Opera Orlando's growth and continued investment in its community," Chang said. "Responding to overwhelming demand, our added Saturday evening performances have allowed us to already surpass last season's subscription numbers. The level of organic growth Opera Orlando has achieved within ten years is unprecedented, and I am very happy to be a part of it."
Last season also saw Opera Orlando move into expanded headquarters adjacent to its production shop. The facility houses administrative offices, rehearsal space, costume and production shops, storage, and classrooms supporting the company's Youth Company and educational programming.
"Come visit us at our new headquarters to see the full operation behind Opera Orlando, with local carpenters and seamstresses crafting our upcoming productions alongside renowned designers and world-class vocal talent," said General Director Gabriel Preisser. "We are uniquely positioned in Orlando, home to the creative talent and resources of Disney and Universal, with the added advantage of Steinmetz Hall, one of the world's finest acoustic performance venues. Our strategic planning process will focus on leveraging these competitive advantages to expand our impact and strengthen our role as an industry leader."
Beyond its own productions, Opera Orlando continues to strengthen collaborations throughout Central Florida and beyond. During the past season, the company rented and sold scenery and costumes to Opera Tampa, Opera Las Vegas, and Stetson University's opera program while maintaining partnerships with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Orlando Ballet, Orlando Family Stage, and the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center.
The company also continues to produce a variety of year-round events, including its Summer Concert Series, Operazzi Bash, The Mozart Dinner, OperaX at Judson's Live, and a wide range of Youth Company and community engagement programs.
Opera on the MainStage tickets start at just $40 (all fees included) and are on sale exclusively through the Dr. Phillips Center's Bill & Mary Darden Box Office (445 S. Magnolia Avenue, Orlando), online at www.DrPhillipsCenter.org, or by calling (407) 358-6603. All other Opera Orlando events are on sale at www.OperaOrlando.org.
ABOUT OPERA ORLANDO
Opera Orlando produces opera in Central Florida — fully, seriously, and for everyone. Now in its eleventh season, the Company presents MainStage productions, educational programs, and community performances rooted in the conviction that this art form belongs to this city. Opera Orlando's Youth Company program and Apprentice and Studio Artists programs develop the next generation of opera talent for and from within the community it serves. (OperaOrlando.org)
