Piedmont Opera
Piedmont Opera produces high-quality opera productions using international, national, regional, and local professional singers and technicians. The company attracts patrons from 16 states and communities throughout the Piedmont, Upstate, and Virginia. In addition to its regular productions, Piedmont Opera conducts educational and outreach programs. It is the second-largest opera company in North Carolina and operates with an administrative staff of five full-time positions. Piedmont Opera offers a program called Opera Lite, which provides a casual opera experience featuring classically trained artists. The program includes events such as Opera Lite: POPERA and Opera Lite: An American Odyssey, which explore opera's influence in popular culture and American song. The company also has a program called Storytime, which introduces opera to young children and their families. A Piedmont Opera singer reads a book and demonstrates their operatic voice, and kids receive a sticker. The program is sponsored by The Ginther Group and aims to promote literacy, art, and music. Piedmont Opera is a member of OPERA America and has a operating budget of one million. It also offers set rentals to companies across the country, including its Carmen production and upcoming productions like The Barber of Seville.