Portland Opera

What Portland Opera does

Portland Opera Association, Inc. is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1964 and headquartered at the World Trade Center 2 in downtown Portland, Oregon. The company presents a season of typically three productions — a large-scale traditional opera, a smaller chamber opera, and a concert — performed at venues including Keller Auditorium, Newmark Theatre, and the Hampton Opera Center, with a per-service, part-time orchestra represented by AFM Local 99. The artistic leadership includes Artistic Director Alfrelynn Roberts, Music Director Damien Geter, and Grammy-winning Artistic Ambassador Karen Slack.

The organization's product portfolio extends well beyond mainstage opera. Revenue and audience development streams include the Opera a la Cart mobile performance program (parks, festivals, wineries), Portland Opera to Go school and community tours, a Broadway in Portland partnership for touring Broadway productions, Production Rentals (full shows and costume/set-only rentals to other opera companies), and World Trade Center venue rentals (200-seat theatre, outdoor plaza, event spaces). Community engagement is supported by 150+ active volunteers contributing approximately 5,000 hours per season.

Commercially, Portland Opera generates revenue from six identifiable streams: ticket sales, season subscriptions (with a 15% discount), donations and fundraising, production rentals, venue rentals, and the Broadway in Portland partnership. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with direct box-office and online sales supplemented by digital marketing across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok. The organization adopted a Cultural Equity Plan in 2020-2021 in consultation with Equity Quotient and signed the Black Opera Alliance Pledge, and is currently operating under an Interim General Director while running an active 'Keep Portland Operatic' emergency fundraising campaign.

Name

Portland Opera

Legal name

Portland Opera Association, Inc.

Website

https://portlandopera.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Portland Opera is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1964 that presents a season of professional opera productions in Portland, Oregon, and operates community education, venue rental, and production rental programs serving regional audiences, schools, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Opera

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL)

Keywords

• Opera performance
• Performing arts
• Arts education
• Live entertainment
• Community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual tickets for opera performances at venues including Keller Auditorium and Newmark Theatre. Revenue from single tickets and subscription packages.
2. Season Subscriptions: Subscription options with 15% discount on individual tickets. Custom packages built for subscribers with benefits and savings.
3. Donations & Fundraising: Emergency fundraising campaigns (Keep Portland Operatic), individual donations, major gifts, corporate sponsorships, and grants. Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
4. Production Rentals: Full scenery and costume rentals available for other opera companies and theatrical productions. Includes full productions like The Magic Flute, Madama Butterfly, Sweeney Todd, and costumes only for Aida, La Traviata, Tosca.
5. Venue Rentals: World Trade Center 2 space rentals including 200-seat theatre, Sky Bridge event space, outdoor plaza (11,000+ sq ft), meeting rooms, and commercial kitchen. Hosts board retreats, performances, company parties, weddings, proms.
6. Broadway in Portland: Partnership managing Broadway touring productions in Portland with local marketing, PR, and subscriber services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Portland Opera produces, presents, and markets live opera performances at major Portland venues including Keller Auditorium, Newmark Theatre, and Hampton Opera Center, featuring professional singers, chorus, and the Portland Opera Orchestra. Beyond mainstage productions, the company operates the mobile Opera a la Cart program, the Portland Opera to Go educational tour, the Broadway in Portland touring series, production rentals of sets and costumes to peer companies, and venue rentals of the World Trade Center 2 facility, supported by season subscriptions and donor fundraising.

Product overview

Portland Opera is a performing arts organization presenting opera as a unified portfolio of interconnected programs. Core offerings include mainstage opera performances at major Portland venues and the Portland Opera Orchestra. The portfolio encompasses Broadway in Portland (touring Broadway partnership), Opera a la Cart (mobile outdoor performances), Portland Opera to Go (educational tours for young audiences), Production Rentals (renting sets and costumes to other organizations), and World Trade Center venue rentals. Community engagement is supported through volunteer programs, season subscriptions, and accessibility services including audio description and live captions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mainstage Opera Performances Full-scale opera productions performed at major Portland venues including Keller Auditorium, Newmark Theatre, and Hampton Opera Center, featuring professional singers, the Portland Opera Chorus, and the Portland Opera Orchestra. A typical season includes three productions: one large-scale traditional opera, one chamber opera, and one concert.
• Season Subscriptions Subscription packages offering a 15% discount on tickets versus individual performance pricing, with custom package creation including built-in savings and subscriber benefits for the season.
• Opera a la Cart Mobile opera stage program that performs free outdoor concerts at city parks, neighborhood festivals, street fairs, wineries, and public events throughout the Portland metro area and region during summer months.
• Portland Opera to Go School and community tour program bringing opera performances to young audiences, featuring scenery, props, and costumes. Touring productions include Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, The Barber of Seville, The Elixir of Love, Beatrice, and Shizue: An American Story, with curriculum materials for classrooms.
• Broadway in Portland Partnership that brings touring Broadway productions to Portland, managed locally by Portland Opera with marketing, public relations, and subscriber services.
• Production Rentals Rental program allowing other organizations to rent Portland Opera's full productions, costumes only, or sets only. Full productions include Central Park Five, The Magic Flute, Madama Butterfly, Sweeney Todd, and Pagliacci/Carmina Burana. Costumes available for Aida, Candide, La Traviata, Tosca, and The Marriage of Figaro. Sets only available for Pirates of Penzance and La Boheme.
• World Trade Center Venue Rentals Event venue rentals at the downtown World Trade Center 2 facility overlooking the Willamette River. Spaces include a 200-seat proscenium theatre, Sky Bridge event space, outdoor plaza of 11,000+ sq ft, meeting rooms, and a commercial kitchen, suitable for board retreats, performances, company parties, weddings, proms, and private events.
• Volunteer Program Community volunteer program engaging 150+ active volunteers contributing 5,000+ hours per season across roles including Light-Walkers (stage stand-ins), Ushers, Greeters, Will Call support, and Supernumeraries (non-singing performers).

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ active volunteers contributing 5,000+ hours per season
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Portland Cherry Bombs FCnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerGroundbreaking matchday partnership bringing live opera performances to women's soccer matches at Portland venues. Partnership aims to transform the atmosphere of women's soccer in Portland through cultural programming, reaching new audiences and creating unique fan experiences.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Minnesota Opera: Mid-sized American regional opera company with a full mainstage season, education/outreach programming, and a similar mix of ticket, subscription, and contributed revenue—closely comparable scale and structure.
• Opera Colorado: Mid-sized U.S. regional opera company producing a season of traditional and contemporary productions with comparable audience-development and education programs—directly comparable operating model and scale.
• Seattle Opera: Fellow Pacific Northwest regional opera company of similar size and mission, presenting a multi-production season with educational outreach and comparable repertory focus; most direct geographic and structural analog to Portland Opera.
• Oregon Symphony: Portland-based peer performing arts institution sharing the same donor pool, venues, and patron base, with comparable subscription, education, and rental revenue models—closest local market competitor for arts dollars.
• Pacific Northwest Ballet: Seattle-based regional ballet company of comparable scale and operating model (subscription season, education programs, venue rentals, donor-driven nonprofit)—shares the same structural economics as a mid-sized regional performing arts nonprofit.
• Lyric Opera of Kansas City: Regional opera company producing a classical/mainstream repertory season with comparable education and community engagement programs—structurally analogous to Portland Opera.

Regional players

• Vancouver Opera: Cross-border Canadian regional opera company serving a Pacific Northwest-adjacent market with a similar season structure and educational outreach; comparable in scope but operates in a different country.

Broad incumbents

• Houston Grand Opera: One of the largest U.S. regional opera companies with a substantially larger budget, full resident orchestra, and broader programming; serves as a benchmark for what Portland Opera could scale into operationally.
• Portland'5 Centers for the Arts: Operator of the Keller Auditorium and Newmark Theatre—the two primary venues Portland Opera uses for mainstage productions; functions as both venue partner and broader competitor for performing arts audiences in Portland.

Others

• Pacific Northwest Theatre Associates: Portland-based performing arts service organization and trade group connecting regional companies; tangentially comparable as an ecosystem participant supporting Portland Opera's production rentals and cross-company coordination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/PortlandOpera
• Facebookfacebook.com/PortlandOpera
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portland-opera
• Instagraminstagram.com/portlandopera
• TikToktiktok.com/@portlandopera
• Xx.com/portlandopera

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Portland Opera