In late 2007, a group of ambitious artistic & cultural leaders came together to form Montana Lyric Opera, Western Montana’s only professional non-profit opera company. In less than three years, this young company has already established itself as a vital part of the regional cultural community, bringing high-quality productions and educational programs to concert halls, schools, and even nightclubs around the area.

In 2008, MLO unveiled its innovative “Opera on Draft” performance series with two standing-room-only performances at Missoula’s Badlander nightclub. That summer, the company presented its first Summer Youth Opera Camp, where students age 8-18 learned operatic singing and acting techniques, culminating in a fully staged and costumed performance of The Emperor’s New Clothes, featuring music by Mozart. The year ended literally on a high note, with MLO’s first professional opera production, Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, produced in collaboration with Missoula Children’s Theatre.

In early 2009, the company continued its Opera on Draft series and expanded on its educational mission with an original adaptation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute, which MLO brought to numerous schools around western Montana -- at no charge to the schools. Then came yet another milestone, with the first annual Summer Opera Festival, centered around a semi-staged production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto at the University Theatre in Missoula. The production, conducted by Darko Butorac, boasted nationally recognized singers performing alongside musicians from around the region -- bringing two truly unforgettable performances to enthusiastic audiences. The Summer Opera Festival rounded out with our first summer production of Opera on Draft, plus the second annual Summer Opera Camp, where student singers presented The Tinker of Tivoli, a staged production based on music by Rossini.

2010 kicked off with yet another new and innovative program: Opera Decanted, an event featuring paired wines, cuisine, and opera music from countries around the world. At the sold-out event, which took place February 21 at Caffe Dolce, the company announced the centerpiece of its 2010 Summer Opera Festival: Puccini’s gloriously passionate opera, Madama Butterfly, which will once again feature a cast of notable singers and full orchestra led by Dr. Luis Millán.

Montana Lyric Opera: Real Opera. Real Montana.