About Fort Worth Opera
Established in 1946, Fort Worth Opera is the oldest continually running opera company in Texas and one of the oldest opera companies in the United States. Our mission is to engage, educate, and entertain through the transformative power of opera. We are dedicated to fostering a love for the arts in our community, with a special focus on educational outreach and community engagement.
Throughout Fort Worth Opera's 2025–26 season, the company celebrates its milestone 80th anniversary with a dynamic lineup that honors its storied legacy. The season opens with a rare stateside concert appearance by Metropolitan Opera star tenor Jonathan Tetelman at TCU's Van Cliburn Concert Hall. Audiences will then experience Philip Glass’ groundbreaking La Belle et La Bête (Beauty and the Beast) at the historic Ridglea Theater—a mesmerizing fusion of opera and film that transforms Jean Cocteau’s cinematic masterpiece into a multimedia spectacle. As the holidays approach, the company will bring Gian Carlo Menotti’s beloved classic Amahl and the Night Visitors to life at Stage West. The spirit of Fort Worth’s rich cultural heritage shines through in Cowboys and Culture, a concert of Western-themed repertoire performed by internationally acclaimed dramatic tenor Clifton Forbis at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. The season also features the triumphant return of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at Bass Performance Hall.
About Fort Worth Opera's Education and Community Engagement Programs
Fort Worth Opera's acclaimed education programs engage nearly 41,000 students annually through live, interactive opera performances in K-12 schools across North Texas. Designed to reduce barriers and expand access, the program brings high-quality arts experiences directly to youth in underserved and culturally diverse communities. This season, the department will present The Three Little Pigs in elementary and middles schools. For families across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Fort Worth Opera will present the world premiere of the bilingual children’s opera Anam the Witch and Beatriz the Beautiful, and in December, Wintersong, a festive concert of seasonal music. This season, as Fort Worth Opera deepens its connection with local high school students and aligns its educational programming with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards, the company proudly presents Project: Opera—a 30-hour in-school residency at three Tarrant County high schools. Students will explore Shakespeare and Charles Gounod's opera Romeo and Juliet through vocal training, reflection, and scene study working alongside Fort Worth Opera's Resident Artists and educators. Each residency culminates in a fully staged performance on each campus and a final co-production with students from all three high schools and TCU Opera Studio students on the stage of Van Cliburn Concert Hall in late spring.
The company's Hattie Mae Lesley Resident Artist Program furthers the company's mission by offering intensive professional development and regional performance opportunities to emerging opera singers selected through a nationwide audition process. In our most recent season, four Resident Artists served as performers, teaching artists, and ambassadors at schools and community events across the region. Fort Worth Opera's comprehensive programs continue to enrich, educate, and inspire audiences of all ages—advancing our belief that opera is for everyone.
Our Mission at Fort Worth Opera is to educate, entertain and expand the horizons of current and future audiences and artists through variety and artistic integrity. Fort Worth Opera is committed to maintaining the highest possible standards of equality; to embracing diversity, giving voice to qualified people of all genders, races, and orientations, on and off the stage.
Our vision is to bring the communities of Fort Worth and North Texas closer together through inclusive musical experience, to cultivate young singers into the next generation of opera stars, and to be a world-renowned venue for new and innovative operatic works.
$50 gift of exposure. Your donation sends a child to the opera opening a whole new world and experience.
$100 you give the gift of a career. One of our resident artists will receive a voice lesson that will deepen their ability and hone their craft.
$500 is the gift of education. We are able to send out Children's opera out in to the community reaching more students and exposing them to the art of opera.
$10,000 you give the gift of diversity. We are able to bring in new cultures and new works that have a social and community impact.
$15,000 helps to bring in Artists from all around the world to Fort Worth.
$20,000 is the rent for of a venue.
$50,000 pays for an entire opera chorus.
$75,000 will underwrite relaxed performances for the year.
$100,000 will cover the cost to have the orchestra play during the performance.
Fort Worth Opera supports diverse representation and inclusivity as pillars of our artistic work. We stand in solidarity with the diverse voices of our staff, artists, designers, friends, and creative partners against racism, inequality, and oppression. We believe it is crucial to amplify diverse voices and demand accountability and change. Fort Worth Opera will dedicate creative resources to breaking down barriers, fostering open dialogue, and celebrating our shared humanity. We embrace the power of opera and art to unite us in a vision of inclusivity, understanding, and mutual respect.
Organization name
Fort Worth Opera
Causes
Arts & Humanities
Operating Budget
$10,000,000 or more
Counties Served
Dallas, Tarrant
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American
BIPOC Leadership
Neither/None
Address
1612 Summit Ave Suite 202