Opera America has announced the inaugural group of inductees to its Opera Hall of Fame, meant to recognize outstanding achievements of American artists, administrators, and advocates.

The establishment of the Opera America Hall of Fame comes on the organization’s 50^th anniversary, and celebrates the progress of the art form.

The inductees are Patricia K Beggs, General Director Emerita of Cincinnati Opera; international soprano Grace Bumbry;  Matthew Epstein, Artist Manager and Artistic Advisor of Santa Fe Opera;  famed bass-baritone and humanitarian Simon Estes; composer and philanthropist Gordon Getty; David Gockley, General Director Emeritus of San Francisco Opera; Camille LaBarre, Managing Director of The Metropolitan Opera; legendary tenor and teacher George Shirley; international soprano and teacher Dawn Upshaw; and Roma Wittcoff, trustee at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Arizona Opera.

“This year marks OPERA America’s 50th anniversary, but the focus of our commemoration is on the growth and success of opera in America over these past 50 years. We created the Opera Hall of Fame to shine a spotlight on some of the leaders who made indelible contributions to the art form and the filed during that period,” Marc A. Scorca, president and CEO of OPERA America, said in a press release. “These artists, administrators, and advocates laid the groundwork for opera to become what it is today in North America, and their ground-breaking work continues to shape the field as we look toward the future.”

An induction ceremony will be held in early 2022, and the 10 inductees will receive an installation at the Sherrill Milnes Honors Gallery in Opera America’s National Opera Center in Manhattan.