Detroit Opera got its start in 1961 as the educational outreach arm,
Overture to Opera (OTO), of the Detroit Grand Opera Association, the organization responsible for the
Metropolitan Opera's visits to Detroit.
The David DiChiera Era (1963–2014) In 1963, Michigan Opera Theatre's (MOT) Founder and General Director,
David DiChiera took over the program, then in its third year. OTO first presented opera to the public as a collection of scenes and acts. It did not produce its first full-length production until 1970, with the staging of
The Barber of Seville at the
Detroit Institute of Arts. OTO transformed into a professional opera company after establishing a board of trustees in 1971, and in 1973, the company officially changed its name to Michigan Opera Theatre. 1977 marked the founding of MOT's Department of Community Programs by Karen VanderKloot DiChiera. The company became known for its casting which often featured a blend of established artists as well as young-up-and-coming American opera singers from a diversity of backgrounds, a tradition that continues to this day. The company was among the first to stage
Gershwin's opera
Porgy and Bess in 1975 as well as
Scott Joplin's opera
Treemonisha in 1983. MOT also established an international reputation for the staging of rarely performed operas such as the North American premiere of Armenian composer,
Armen Tigranian's,
Anoush in 1981,
Stanisław Moniuszko's
The Haunted Castle in 1982, and Polish composer
Karol Szymanowski's
King Roger in 1991. In 1989 the decision was made to purchase MOT's current home, the Detroit Opera House. Originally called the Capitol Theatre, the building, designed by
C. Howard Crane, was in need of extensive restoration. The company eventually gained enough money to purchase the entire block encompassing the neighboring Roberts Fur building, which the company demolished in 1993 to make way for the stage house. The monumental task which became known as "The Detroit Opera House Project" took approximately 7 years to complete and was supported by local individuals, corporations, foundations and unions.
Luciano Pavarotti was also a major contributor to the campaign, bringing the attention of the public to the project at large by promising to sing at the opening of the new opera house, donating large amounts of money to the cause, and by making various appearances around Detroit in performances designed to raise money for the project. In April 1996, MOT celebrated the opening of its new home with a gala event which received international coverage. Among the guests at the gala were opera stars
Joan Sutherland,
Luciano Pavarotti, Irina Mishura,
Helen Donath,
Marcello Giordani, Gregg Baker,
Alessandra Marc, and
Elizabeth Parcells, conductor
Steven Mercurio, and actor
Roddy McDowall. The evening also featured a
Fanfare for the Detroit Opera House by American composer
William Bolcom which had been especially commissioned for the Gala. In 1996 MOT also added a permanent dance season to its repertoire with performances by the
American Ballet Theatre and the
Cleveland San Jose Ballet. In 2005, the company staged the world premiere of
Richard Danielpour’s
Margaret Garner, based on
Toni Morrison’s novel
Beloved. In 2014, founder and longtime general director DiChiera stepped down as president and CEO and became artistic director. Wayne S. Brown became president and CEO in 2014. DiChiera retired as artistic director in 2017.
The Wayne S. Brown Era (2014–2024) During Brown’s tenure, the opera company focused increasingly on producing operas that reached diverse audiences residing in and around the city of Detroit, such as
Robert Xavier Rodriguez’s
Frida and
Mieczysław Weinberg's
The Passenger in 2015, and
Daniel Sonenberg's
The Summer King in 2018. He also oversaw the rebranding to Detroit Opera in 2022. Brown oversaw the recruitment of Yuval Sharon as artistic director in 2020. Sharon’s tenure began as operas were closing their doors nationwide in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In October 2020, the company produced
Twilight: Gods, an adaptation of Wagner’s
Götterdämmerung that was performed in Detroit Opera House Parking Center. In 2021, the company produced
Anthony Davis’
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, which marked its first revival since its 1986 premiere.
The Patty Isacson Sabee Era (2024–present) Since January 2024, Patty Isacson Sabee has served as Detroit Opera’s president and CEO. Yuval Sharon continues to serve as artistic director. In March 2026 it was reported that Sharon would leave the company at the end of the 2025–2026 season, two years before the end of his contract. The company had lost financial support from major foundations, and he stated that the resulting cancellation of productions caused him to feel like "a lame duck advisor". ==Venues==