On July 10, Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre’s Artistic Director Jamie J. Offenbach passed away after a private battle with cancer.

The Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre’s Board President shared a statement saying, “We have lost a brilliant colleague, a generous mentor, a creative showman, and a dear friend. Jamie carried within him a rare constellation of gifts—talent, energy, vision, humor, and warmth. His creative spirit was inexhaustible. Wherever he placed his hand, something shone.”

Born in Honolulu, Offenbach graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi and the Juilliard School. Following his studies, he joined LA Opera’s Resident Artist Program, which launched his career that included performances with opera companies across the country, including Santa Fe Opera, LA Opera, and Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre, where he became an important artist for the company.

With the Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre, he debuted in 2002 as Zuniga in “Carmen” and returned in many productions, with his final performances as Antonio in “Le nozze di Figaro” (2020) and Colas in “Bastien & Bastienne” (2021).

He eventually became artistic director of Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre where he led the company through the pandemic by leading the creation of its digital season alongside his longtime partner, Stuart Zwagil. He later directed “Pagliacci” and created STUDIO101, an innovative cabaret-style series that blended opera, classical music, jazz, Hawaiian songs, and more—welcoming countless new audience members to the company.