Opera Lafayette

What Opera Lafayette does

Opera Lafayette is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1995 in Washington, DC, originally as The Violins of Lafayette and reincorporated under its current name in 2001. The company is the only opera company in the United States to perform its full season in both Washington, DC and New York City, and self-identifies as "The Nation's Period Opera Company." Its core product is a season of fully staged period instrument opera productions drawn from the 17th through 19th centuries, performed on authentic historical instruments including theorbos, wooden flutes, and valveless trumpets, and staged with expressive dancing, period-informed costumes, and imaginative sets. A typical season includes fully produced operas as well as shorter programs (e.g., Queen of Hearts, New Woman), supplemented by an online Salon Series of pre-performance educational discussions, a Young Artists Program launched in 2007 for emerging professional singers, and a commercial catalog of over a dozen recordings and DVDs on the Naxos label, with the most recent release being the world premiere recording of Edmond Dede's Morgiane on the Delos label in January 2026.

The company's primary audiences are classical and early music enthusiasts and cultural patrons in the DC and NYC metropolitan areas, with additional outreach to educational institutions and emerging professional musicians. Opera Lafayette generates revenue from four streams: ticket sales (subscriptions and single tickets sold direct via a Salesforce-based ticketing platform and through venue box offices at Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and others), individual donations across nine tiers from Friend ($100-$249) to Underwriter ($20,000+), planned giving and estate gifts, and grants from corporate and foundation funders including the Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Distribution is event-driven: a limited number of staged productions per season in each city, with a secondary recorded-revenue stream distributed through Delos and on streaming platforms.

In 2025 the company completed its first artistic leadership transition in 30 years, with founder Ryan Brown becoming Artistic Director Emeritus and Patrick Dupre Quigley, founder of the GRAMMY-winning ensemble Seraphic Fire, assuming the Artistic Director role on July 1, 2025. The company is governed by an independent Board of Directors, has no parent organization, and is headquartered at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE in Washington, DC.

Name

Opera Lafayette

Legal name

Opera Lafayette

Website

https://operalafayette.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Opera Lafayette is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) performing arts organization founded in 1995 that produces period instrument opera from the 17th-19th centuries, presenting its full season in both Washington, DC and New York City for classical music audiences, cultural patrons, and emerging artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts (Opera)

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Opera & Operetta (MPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Period instrument opera
• Baroque opera performances
• Historically informed performance
• Opera recordings and albums
• Opera education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from subscription packages and individual performance tickets sold directly to patrons attending opera productions in DC and NYC venues
2. Individual Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals at various giving levels (Friend $100-$249, Supporter $250-$499, Donor $500-$999, Patron $1,000-$2,499, Sustainer $2,500-$4,999, Benefactor $5,000-$9,999, Maestro $10,000-$19,999, Underwriter $20,000+)
3. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Deferred giving options including bequests, planned gifts, and legacy donations from supporters
4. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Support from organizations including Ford Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and others

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Opera Lafayette is a 501(c)(3) non-profit opera company that presents fully staged period instrument opera productions featuring 17th-19th century repertoire, performed on authentic historical instruments such as theorbos, wooden flutes, and valveless trumpets. The company performs its full season in both Washington, DC and New York City, complemented by educational Salon Series, a Young Artists Program for emerging professional singers, and commercial album recordings on the Naxos and Delos labels.

Product overview

Opera Lafayette is a period instrument opera company offering a portfolio of live performances, educational programs, and recordings. The core offering is the opera season, which comprises fully staged period instrument productions performed with authentic instruments (theorbos, wooden flutes, valveless trumpets) at venues in Washington, DC and New York City. The company presents multiple productions per season featuring Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic repertoire, supplemented by educational Salon Series discussions, a Young Artists Program for emerging singers, and commercial recordings including the acclaimed world premiere of Edmond Dede's Morgiane. The company was founded in 1995 as The Violins of Lafayette and performs its full season in both Washington, DC and New York City, making it the only opera company to do so.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OL Radio: Online radio feature offering recordings and audio content from Opera Lafayette productions.

Products and services

• Opera Season Subscriptions Season ticket packages providing access to multiple opera performances across the company's season in Washington, DC and New York City, with benefits including package discounts, early seating selections, and exclusive performer meet & greets. Targeted at opera patrons.
• Single Performance Tickets Individual tickets for specific opera performances at DC and NYC venues, available for purchase once general sales open. Targeted at single-attendance audience members.
• Opera Performances Fully staged period instrument opera productions featuring Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic repertoire with authentic historical instruments, expressive dancing, bold costumes, and imaginative sets. For opera patrons and classical music audiences.
• Education Programs Community engagement programs including participatory events, musical demonstrations, salons, discussions, and exhibitions connecting period opera with contemporary audiences. For students, educators, and the general public.
• Salon Series Online and in-person enrichment salons offering expert-led stories, history, and insights into each season production, covering historical themes, women in music history, and demonstrations of period instruments. For opera patrons and students of early music.
• Young Artists Program Program launched in 2007 supporting emerging professional singers in early opera, with selected performers working alongside the Artistic Director and leading artists in company productions. For early-career vocalists and musicians.
• Album Recordings Commercial opera recordings and DVDs issued on the Naxos and Delos labels, available for streaming and purchase on platforms including Amazon and Spotify. For classical music listeners and collectors worldwide.
• Edmond Dede's Morgiane (World Premiere Recording) World premiere recording of the earliest complete opera by a Black American composer, Edmond Dede, a four-act French grand opera hidden in manuscript form for 138 years. Album released January 30, 2026 on the Delos label. For classical music collectors, scholars, and diversity-focused programming buyers.
• Rameau's Les Surprises de l'Amour Modern world premiere production of Rameau's ballet-Les Surprises de l'Amour, restoring the Pompadour-Rameau collaboration to the stage for the first time since 1748. French opera with English supertitles, approximately 2 hours with intermission. For opera audiences and classical music patrons.
• The Impostor Unmasked Immersive concert of music by Dowland, Campion, Purcell, and early Handel set in 17th-century England, performed as a masquerade of songs exploring longing, satire, devotion, and melancholy. Performed in English, 85 minutes. For classical music and early music audiences.
• Metastasio's La clemenza di Tito Production featuring GRAMMY-winning American tenor Nicholas Phan performing arias by Mozart and his influences (Myslivecek, Gluck, Hasse), framed by music of Haydn and Marianna Martines, exploring themes of mercy and forgiveness. Italian with English supertitles. For opera audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Five sold-out performances at Opera Royal in Versailles, France
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OperaCréolecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2025Collaboration with New Orleans-based OperaCréole, dedicated to researching and presenting lost or rarely performed works by composers of African descent. Led by founders Givonna Joseph and Aria Mason, OperaCréole focuses on 19th-century New Orleanian free composers of color. The partnership produced the world premiere of Edmond Dede's Morgiane, the first complete opera by a Black American.
• Folger Shakespeare LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for performances including Les Surprises de L'Amour at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC. The Folger houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare materials and renowned early modern period materials. Partnership unites two organizations dedicated to preserving and producing works that celebrate the artistic traditions of the early modern world.
• Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner collaborating with Opera Lafayette on programming related to African American contributions to opera and classical music, particularly in conjunction with the Morgiane world premiere.
• Opera AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational service organization for the opera community that supports Opera Lafayette through programming, resources, and collaborative events including panel discussions at OPERA America's National Opera Center.
• Opera EbonyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting Opera Lafayette's mission to present diverse operatic repertoire and promote Black artists in classical music.
• Harvard University (Houghton Library)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner whose Houghton Library provided the manuscript of Edmond Dede's Morgiane for exhibition at the Folger Shakespeare Library, enabling public viewing of the historical document.
• University of Maryland (The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance partner hosting Morgiane performances at the Dekelboum Concert Hall. The Clarice Presents program supports Opera Lafayette premiere editions and recordings, including through the Kenneth Gorelick Fund.
• Louisiana Philharmonic OrchestraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal orchestra partner for the New Orleans performance of Edmond Dede's Morgiane at St. Louis Cathedral, bringing local orchestral support to the hometown premiere.
• Kalanidhi DanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraditional Indian classical dance company collaborating with Opera Lafayette on the RE|Claim program exploring cultural ownership through music and dance.
• Kennedy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor performance venue hosting Opera Lafayette productions including the RE|JOICE 30th anniversary celebration at the Terrace Theater, with campus rentals office coordinating external rental presentations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCE547-_lVDGSb6_g0Hh2p-g
• Facebookfacebook.com/operalafayette
• Instagraminstagram.com/operalafayette
• Xx.com/oplaf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opera-lafayette

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Opera Lafayette