Ottawa Pocket Opera / Opéra de poche d'Ottawa was founded in 2007 as a non-profit cooperative association designed to make opera more accessible to the general public and provide performance opportunities for both established local professionals and developing young performers in the region. In the planning stages since its initial conception in 2001, OPO is modeled after similar "pocket opera" companies around the world.

The concept of a "pocket opera" company is to present one-act operas and reduced versions of full-length operas, on a smaller portable scale that allows productions to be presented in a variety of venues. OPO productions bring together outstanding vocalists, full costuming and staging, appropriate scenery and props, and some of the regions finest pianists. Combined with affordable ticket prices, the pocket opera approach can and does bring opera to audiences who might not otherwise ever see an opera, in the process often growing the audience for larger traditional opera companies.

It's our intention to present a minimum of two productions per year in Ottawa, which can also travel to small venues in communities in the Ottawa Valley and Eastern Ontario. We have chosen as a cornerstone mandate the development of young singers in and from the region. These young artists range from advanced university undergraduate students through Master's degree candidates to those who are on the cusp of moving on to national or international careers.

If you have already attended an OPO performance, we thank you for your support - and if you haven't yet, we encourage you to come out and spend an evening with us!

Artists interested in auditioning and community members interested in volunteering for Ottawa Pocket Opera may contact us through the information provided on the Contact page.