Austin Opera
Austin Opera is a 40-year-old nonprofit opera company based in Austin, Texas, producing a four-opera mainstage season at the Long Center, serving 30,000+ audience members and 15,000+ K-12 students annually, and transitioning to a year-round operator with the Fall 2026 opening of its owned Butler Performance Center.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Austin Opera does
Austin Opera is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1986 in Austin, Texas, producing a four-opera mainstage season at the Long Center for the Performing Arts (where it is a founding resident company alongside Ballet Austin and Austin Symphony) and operating a comprehensive K-12 education program reaching 15,000+ students annually across Central Texas school districts. The organization runs a portfolio of programs including mainstage opera productions, a Resident Stars Program, the Austin Opera Orchestra and Chorus, pre-show engagement events (Opera Overtures, Trivia & Toasts, Coffee & Conversations), education programs (Opera Treasure Chest, Access Opera, Summer Vocal Camp, Teaching Artists), and community events such as Concerts at the Consulate. Austin Opera has 30+ core staff and engages 200-300+ local artists and creatives per season. Business model: roughly 70% of the operating budget comes from individual donor support, supplemented by ticket sales (season subscriptions and individual tickets ranging from $5 student dress rehearsal access to $175 pre-opera dinners and $375-$450 camp tuition), corporate sponsorships, foundation grants (including OPERA America and Bloomberg Philanthropies), and capital campaign contributions. The technology stack is standard theatrical infrastructure with no proprietary platform; revenue mechanics rely on a hybrid contributed/earned model with a developing digital content layer. The company is currently executing a major capital expansion: the Sarah and Ernest Butler Performance Center opens Fall 2026, adding a 180-seat owned venue, four rehearsal rooms, conference center, costume shop, and administrative offices — a transition from seasonal tenant to year-round venue operator. Recent strategic moves include a $10M Forward Campaign (2020-2023), a $7.5M Inspire 2030 capital campaign, the first commissioned world premiere (Ofrenda, a bilingual English/Spanish chamber opera, 2026), a national tour consortium for Fellow Travelers (2026-2027), and the institutionalization of Spanish-language programming via the Butler Fund.
Austin Opera firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Austin Opera
- Legal name
- Austin Opera
- Website
- https://austinopera.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Austin Opera is a 40-year-old nonprofit opera company based in Austin, Texas, producing a four-opera mainstage season at the Long Center, serving 30,000+ audience members and 15,000+ K-12 students annually, and transitioning to a year-round operator with the Fall 2026 opening of its owned Butler Performance Center.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Austin Opera industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Opera and Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)
Keywords
Where Austin Opera is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Austin Opera business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual performance tickets and season subscriptions for main stage productions at the Long Center for the Performing Arts and Butler Performance Center. Nearly 70% of operating budget comes from individual donor support.
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible gifts from individuals supporting the company's mission, artistic programs, and community initiatives. Nearly 70% of operating budget comes from individual support.
- Corporate Giving: Corporate sponsorships and philanthropy supporting specific productions, education programs, and capital campaigns like Inspire 2030.
- Opera America Grants: Grant funding from Opera America for repertoire development and innovative programming, including the Repertoire Development Grant for Ofrenda.
- Inspire 2030 Capital Campaign: Capital campaign to fund the Sarah and Ernest Butler Performance Center, including $7.5 million in capital support and $1 million in theater technology.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Season Tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Per event | Pre-Opera Dinner |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Summer Vocal Camp Tuition |
| Unit Pricing | Per event | Access Opera Program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Austin Opera product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Austin Opera is a nonprofit professional opera company that produces and presents full-scale mainstage opera productions at the Long Center for the Performing Arts and, beginning fall 2026, at the new Butler Performance Center. It also delivers K-12 arts education programs (Opera Treasure Chest, Access Opera, Teaching Artists, Summer Vocal Camp) and community engagement events, supported primarily by ticket revenue, season subscriptions, and individual donor contributions.
Product overview
Austin Opera is a performing arts organization presenting a diverse portfolio of opera productions and educational programs. The core offering consists of mainstage productions at the Long Center for the Performing Arts and chamber performances at the new Butler Performance Center, featuring world premiere commissions, traditional repertoire, and exclusive regional premieres. Education programs include Opera Treasure Chest (K-5), Access Opera (6-12), Summer Vocal Camp, Teaching Artists visits, and online video resources. Pre-show engagement events include Trivia & Toasts, Opera Overtures, Coffee & Conversations, Masterclass Series, and Conductor Cues. The company also maintains resident artist programs including the Austin Opera Orchestra, Chorus, and Resident Stars ensemble.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Austin Opera Orchestra: The orchestra comprised of musicians from across Central Texas providing orchestral accompaniment for Austin Opera's season productions.
- Austin Opera Chorus
- Austin Opera Resident Stars
- Austin Opera Summer Vocal Camp
- Opera Treasure Chest
- Access Opera
- Inspire 2030
Products and services
- Mainstage Opera Productions at the Long Center Full-scale operatic performances presented at the Long Center for the Performing Arts (Dell Hall), featuring internationally acclaimed principal artists alongside the Austin Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The 2026-2027 season includes Ofrenda at the Butler Performance Center and three productions at the Long Center.
- Butler Performance Center Productions Chamber opera and community performances held at the new Sarah and Ernest Butler Performance Center, including world premiere commissions and bilingual (English/Spanish) chamber operas.
- Season Subscriptions
Quantifiable outcome
- 30,000+ audience members annually
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Austin Opera
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Austin Opera technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Austin Opera partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and minor.
- Up Until Now CollectivecoreCo-producing the national tour of Fellow Travelers, which will bring the opera to multiple cities across the US in 2026 and 2027 as one of the largest consortium projects in US opera history.
- Spoleto Festival USAcoreCo-production partnership for Thaïs between Spoleto Festival USA and Austin Opera. Production premiered at Spoleto Festival in 2025 before coming to Austin.
- Opera San AntoniocoreCo-production partnership with Opera San Antonio for Madame Butterfly and La traviata. The companies share artistic resources and production costs, allowing both organizations to present large-scale productions they couldn't produce alone.
- Consulate General of Mexico in AustinimportantProducing partner for Concerts at the Consulate, creating meaningful opportunities for cultural exchange and celebration between Austin Opera and the Mexican consular community.
- OPERA AmericaimportantNational service organization for opera that provides grants (including Repertoire Development Grant for Ofrenda), resources, and professional development for member companies.
- University of Texas at Austin Butler School of MusicimportantCollaboration for Sarah & Ernest Butler Masterclass Series, where UT students work with Austin Opera principal artists. Dr. Liliana Guerrero from UT assists with Meet the Opera program.
- Austin Public LibraryimportantPartnership for Meet the Opera program - free interactive workshops at Austin Public Library branches featuring live performances and educational activities for children.
- Shalom AustinminorGenerous support for Fiddler on the Roof production, providing cultural consultation and community partnership.
- Long Center for the Performing ArtscoreAustin Opera is a founding resident company of the Long Center along with Ballet Austin and Austin Symphony Orchestra. The Long Center provides world-class facilities for performances.
- Cincinnati OperacoreCo-production partnership for Fiddler on the Roof, bringing the production to Austin after Cincinnati Opera's run.
- Seattle Opera, Portland Opera, San Diego Opera, Glimmerglass FestivalcoreTour consortium partners for Fellow Travelers national tour in 2026-2027, bringing the production to multiple cities across the US.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Austin Opera competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- San Diego Opera: West Coast US opera company and Fellow Travelers tour consortium partner. Comparable in presenting a mainstage season with resident orchestra and education outreach in a single major metropolitan market.
- Opera Philadelphia: Mid-sized US opera company known for innovative programming and new commissions. Two of Austin Opera's senior leaders (CEO Annie Burridge, Chief Advancement Officer Jennifer Basten) previously held roles here, making it a particularly close operational and stylistic comparable.
- Dallas Opera: Regional US opera company also based in Texas, presenting a season of mainstage productions with resident orchestra, chorus, and education programs. Directly comparable in mission and operating model, and a potential future co-production partner given Austin Opera's existing Texas partnerships.
- Portland Opera: Regional US opera company and Fellow Travelers national tour consortium partner. Comparable in scale, season structure, and community/education programming approach to Austin Opera.
- Cincinnati Opera: Regional US opera company and active co-production partner with Austin Opera (Fiddler on the Roof). Comparable in seasonal production model, summer festival orientation, and education programming scale.
- Seattle Opera: Larger US opera company and Fellow Travelers national tour consortium partner. Comparable in presenting traditional and contemporary repertoire with education programs, though operating at a meaningfully larger budget scale than Austin Opera.
- Fort Worth Opera: Texas-based regional opera company presenting a season of mainstage productions and education programs. Comparable in scope and target market to Austin Opera, though operating in the adjacent Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
- Opera San Antonio: Texas-based regional opera company that is an active co-production partner of Austin Opera for Madame Butterfly and La traviata. Compares closely in scale and repertoire mix, sharing artistic resources to enable productions that neither could present independently.
Broad incumbents
- Santa Fe Opera: Renowned US opera festival presenting a summer season of innovative and traditional productions. Comparable in artistic ambition and willingness to commission new work, though operating on a substantially larger scale and seasonal festival model rather than year-round programming.
- Houston Grand Opera: One of the largest and most established opera companies in the US, also based in Texas. Comparable as a full-service opera company presenting a multi-production season with educational programs and community outreach, though significantly larger in budget, endowment, and programming scale than Austin Opera.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Austin Opera social profiles
Digital presenceAustin Opera financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Austin Opera leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Austin Opera funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Austin Opera M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Austin Opera
What does Austin Opera do?
Austin Opera is a nonprofit professional opera company that produces and presents full-scale mainstage opera productions at the Long Center for the Performing Arts and, beginning fall 2026, at the new Butler Performance Center. It also delivers K-12 arts education programs (Opera Treasure Chest, Access Opera, Teaching Artists, Summer Vocal Camp) and community engagement events, supported primarily by ticket revenue, season subscriptions, and individual donor contributions.
Is Austin Opera a public or private company?
Austin Opera is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Austin Opera founded?
Austin Opera was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Austin Opera based?
Austin Opera is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Austin Opera make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, corporate Giving, opera America Grants and inspire 2030 Capital Campaign.
Who are Austin Opera's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are San Diego Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Dallas Opera, Portland Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Seattle Opera, Fort Worth Opera and Opera San Antonio. Broad incumbents are Santa Fe Opera and Houston Grand Opera.
Does Austin Opera have an API?
No public API is recorded for Austin Opera.
What industry is Austin Opera in?
Austin Opera's product category is Opera and Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAH, Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama), with a secondary code of MPAGALAB, Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses). Its NAICS code is 7111.