Opera Santa Barbara has announced the election of Arthur G. Swalley as its Board Chair. Born in Rhodes, Greece, and raised in Santa Barbara, Swalley studied piano and cello in his youth before beginning vocal training under Phyllis Zimmerman at Santa Barbara High School. He went on to study voice and composition at Yale University, earning a bachelor’s degree in {…}
Opera Santa Barbara has announced the renewal of Artistic and General Director Kostis Protopapas’ contract through the 2028-29 season. Protopapas joined Opera Santa Barbara as Artistic Director in August 2015 and assumed his dual role in December 2017. Under his tenure the company has produced two consecutive seasons of sold-out performances. Prior to Santa Barbara, Protopapas served as Artistic Director {…}
Opera Santa Barbara has announced its 2026-27 mainstage season at the Lobero Theatre. Ben Lowe leads the cast of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in the title role, joined by soprano Oriana Falla as Gilda, tenor Arnold Geis as the Duke of Mantua, bass Colin Ramsey as Sparafucile, and mezzo-soprano Xeni Tziouvaras as Maddalena. Octavio Cardenas directs and Kostis Protopapas conducts. Performance Dates: {…}
Opera Santa Barbara (OBS) will return to the outdoors with its “Opera in the Park” concert on Sunday, June 7, 2026, presented at Godric Grove in Elings Park in Santa Barbara. The free outdoor concert, timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States, will feature music by Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, Jake Heggie, Leonard Bernstein, Victor Herbert, {…}
Opera Santa Barbara (OSB) has appointed Grayson Allred as its new Director of Production, effective July 2026, 2026. Allred joins OSB from the historic Paramount Theatre in Abilene, Texas, where he spent the last four years as Director of Operations & Programming, having previously served seven years at the same institution as Technical Director. “I was drawn to Opera Santa {…}
Opera Santa Barbara has announced its 2026-27 season. Verdi’s “Rigoletto” opens the season with Ben Lowe in the title role alongside Oriana Falla as Gilda, Arnold Geis as the Duke of Mantua, Colin Ramsey as Sparafucile, and Xeni Tziouvaras as Maddalena. Performance Dates: Nov. 6 – 10, 2026 Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” stars Matthew Peterson as Figaro, Sunwoo Park {…}
Opera Santa Barbara will present a free screening of the film “Farinelli” on Feb. 17, 2026. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and is part of the company’s “Opera at the Movies” series. The event serves as a prelude to the company’s upcoming production of Händel’s “Caesar and Cleopatra,” which runs from Feb. 27 and March 1, {…}
Opera Santa Barbara has announced the appointment of Judy Dean, MD, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Dean is a retired radiologist with nearly three decades of medical practice in the community. She retired in 2018 and continues to be active in local arts and cultural organizations. “For me opera is timeless stories set to unforgettable music,” said Dean, per {…}
Opera Santa Barbara Board Member Daniel Reicker has died. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Reicker worked for one of Santa Barbara’s top law firms. He became a member of Opera Santa Barbara’s Board of Directors for 25 years, serving as the company’s in-house legal counsel, and as a member of the {…}
A series of budget bills signed on July 1 restores the $11.5 million for the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund that Governor Newsom proposed to cut in the May revise. This funding will now go to small budget nonprofit performing arts organizations across the state for payroll subsidies to support arts jobs. Over $40 million in applications were received for {…}
Opera Santa Barbara has announced its 2025-26 season. First up is “Cavalleria Rusticana,” starring Sarah Saturnino, Xavier Prado, and Todd Thomas. Artistic and General Director Kostis Protopapas conducts, and Layna Chianakas directs. Cast Change (6/17/25) – The company announced that Sarah Saturnino, who is expecting, is no longer performing the role of Santuzza in these performances. In her stead, Max {…}