Ben Robinson has been named the new General Director and CEO of Kentucky Opera, effective Nov. 11, 2025. Robinson is a former Kentucky Opera Studio Artist and has worked as General Director of Anchorage Opera and Managing Director of Lyric Fest in Philadelphia. During his tenure in Anchorage, he created a concert conversation series that explored social issues through music, {…}
Kentucky Opera has announced two major leadership changes. First, the company announced that Peggy Kriha Miller will serve as its Interim General Director and CEO, succeeding Barbara Lynne Jamison, who is departing the company to take on the role of General Director and CEO of Opera Colorado, effective August 1, 2025. The goal was initially for Jamison to stay on {…}
Kentucky Opera will present a Juneteenth Jubilee Concert on June 19, 2025. “Amplify: Songs of Justice” will open at 7 p.m. at the Kentucky Opera Center for Cultural Health and will feature spirituals, blues, and jazz music performed by Louisville-based artists. At the core of the performance will be Jorell Williams’ “Songs of Justice,” a five-part song cycle commissioned by {…}
Kentucky Opera is set to present a reimagining of Rameau’s “Pygmalion” starting on April 4. For four performances, audiences will experience the famed work in a production that takes it to the 1950s with an all-new libretto by Barbara Lynne Jamison, the company’s General Director and CEO. “The story of Pygmalion is a timeless exploration of creation and transformation,” said {…}
Kentucky Opera is set to present the premiere of “This Little Light of Mine” starting on Feb. 21, 2025. The company’s first commission since 1988 features music by Chandler Carter and a libretto by Diana Solomon-Glover to explore the life and legacy of Fannie Lou Harmer, a civil rights icon. “Opera is so much more than a theatrical performance. It {…}
Kentucky Opera has announced the extension of CEO Barbara Lynne Jamison. She will lead the company through 2028. Jamison joined the company as General Director and CEO in 2018. Prior to her stint with the company, she was at the Seattle Opera for nearly 14 years as Director of Programs and Partnerships. “Barbara’s leadership and fiscal responsibility have brought the {…}
Ahead of the 2024 elections, Kentucky Opera is presenting “Amplify Freedom Songs: Celebrating Fannie Lou Hamer” on Oct. 6, 2024. The showcase, which honors the 107th birthday of the famed civil rights activist and leader, will showcase baritone Jorell Williams and pianist Taylor Burkhardt as they perform classical songs and spirituals by Black composers. “Our goal is to use the {…}
Kentucky Opera has announced that it has received a $60,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant will be used for the company’s 2025 production of Chandler Carter and Diana Solomon-Glover”s “This Little Light of Mine.” The opera, which is inspired by the life of activist Fannie Lou Hamer, will star mezzo-soprano Ronnita Miller (Fannie Lou Hamer), {…}
The Kentucky Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. The season opens with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly“ directed by Mo Zhou. Performance Dates: Nov. 15 & 17, 2024 Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors“ returns to the company by popular demand. Performance Dates: Dec. 13-22, 2024 Chandler Carter and Diana Solomon-Glover’s “This Little Light of Mine” makes its premiere. Performance Dates: Feb. {…}
Kentucky Opera has announced that it will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a special performance on Oct. 15, 2023. “Amplify la música hispana: Shannon Jennings in Recital” will showcase the American soprano taking on music by Pablo Luna, Manuel de Falla, Gonzalo Roig, Ernesto Lecuona, Astor Piazzolla, Alberto Ginastera, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Daniel Catán, Consuelo Velázquez, and Quirino Mendoza y Cortés. {…}
On June 10, 2023, the Kentucky Opera will celebrate Metro Louisville’s June Jubilee with “Amplify Songs of Justice.” The event will take place at the Kentucky Opera Center for Cultural Health, will feature baritone Jorell Williams, who was also commissioned to write the songs. Also commissioned was Paula McCraney. “My hope is that many of these songs become our inspiration {…}