Like many other companies, Sacramento Opera laid down its roots soon after World War II. A group of culturally conscious women founded the Sacramento Opera Guild and imported productions from the San Francisco Opera. Buoyed by factors such as a four-fold increase in population in the succeeding decades, the Guild morphed into the Sacramento Opera Association and began producing its own works in 1981. That first production, staged in a high school auditorium, was Gianni Schicchi.

Since its opening, the company has become an essential element in the Sacramento arts scene with its expansion to a three-opera season, emphasizing West Coast talent in addition to bringing in singers with national reputations. While the traditional repertoire forms the backbone of the company’s productions, they’ve also put on world premieres and are willing to take chances on less-familiar works.

Like most companies, Sacramento Opera maintains an education program that includes Opera-Tunities for Youth (classroom materials that introduce opera) and low-cost tickets for youngsters. The company also offers a variety of structured adult programs that seek to break down barriers to enjoying opera and to provide plenty of information about upcoming productions.