Washington Concert Opera is a fully professional concert opera company presenting internationally acclaimed singers and professional musicians and choruses in unstaged versions of full-length operas. The company was founded in 1986 by Stephen Crout, who served as General Director and Conductor for 15 years.  Since 2002 WCO has been led by Artistic Director and Conductor Antony Walker. (See Meet Our Artistic Director for his biography.) 

The following are the WCO officers and members of the Board of Directors for 2007-2008: President - Kenneth G. Hance, Jr., Vice Presidents - Barbara M. Rossotti and Mitchell Schneider, Secretary - Stephanie van Reigersberg, Assistant Secretary - Jenonne Walker, Treasurer - Michael Higgins; Edith H. Brewster, Marnell Bruce, F.M. (Monty) Burnham, Michelle Bartoli Cain, Harlow Case, Alexander D. Crary, Barbara B. Downs, Eleanor Forrer, Charlotte Gollobin, Judy Gruber* , June Hajjar**, Wendy W. Makins,   David P. Montague, Melissa Rhea, Barbara Severin, Dorothy Wexler, Artistic Director Antony Walker, and Executive Director Judy Gruber.

* on leave of absence            ** ex officio

WCO’s distinctive repertoire comprises operas that either have not been previously presented in the Washington area, are infrequently performed, or represent extraordinary opportunities to showcase renowned artists in unfamiliar roles, thereby providing audiences with unique musical experiences. (See Repertoire for the list of operas performed.) The company has consistently been acclaimed in the local, national, and international press as one of the finest in its field.

Standing Ovation and Critical Acclaim for I Puritani

 Receiving the cheers of a wildly enthusiastic audience are the leads in I Puritani: (l-r) Patrick Toomey, David Pittsinger, Lawrence Brownlee, Sarah Coburn, Conductor Antony Walker, Stephen Powell, David Langan, and Magdalena Wor.

And from the critics:

For a few magical hours Sunday at Lisner Auditorium, soprano Sarah Coburn and tenor Lawrence Brownlee seemed to be the world’s best opera singers. . . Undoubtedly, the evening featuring these young singers will rank as a high point in the Washington Concert Opera’s adventuresome 20-year history. . . . Artistic Director Antony Walker enticed vigor and subtlety from the orchestra and chorus, again proving that the WCO is one of Washington’s most vital musical institutions. (Tom Huizenga, The Washington Post)

What the critics say about other WCO performances

 Rossini's Otello (Spring 2007):  Tim Page wrote in The Washington Post, "WCO's presentations of lesser-known operas, always worthy occasions, have lately become an essential part of Washington's musical life, events that deserve national -- even international -- attention."   He also wrote that WCO's performance of this rarely-heard piece "made for an exhilarating evening, and I wish it were happening all over again tonight, tomorrow and the next night, for I would be there."  T. L. Ponick, in The Washington Times, called the singing "heavenly." "The WCO cast chosen for Otello by Artistic Director and conductor Antony Walker provided a high degree of the 'wow' factor on Sunday," he continued. "The company's orchestra and chorus performed crisply and well under Mr. Walker's expert baton."

Rossini's Tancredi (Spring 2006):  Tim Page wrote in The Washington Post, ". . . This Tancredi proved the springboard for the best collective singing I've heard since I arrived in Washington more than a decade ago."  Opera News praised the company as offering ". . . performances of the highest order."  T.L. Ponick praised Artistic Director Antony Walker, noting " . . .the quality of the company's presentations consistently has been as good as it gets." (The Washington Times , April 2006).

Other Performances:  T. L. Ponick of The Washington Times wrote of WCO's Roberto Devereux, "Concert opera simply doesn’t get any better than this." Following Luisa Miller in June 2005, Tim Page wrote, "[Washington Concert Opera] has now joined the Vocal Arts Society and the Swarthout Hayes Piano Series as one of the few groups in town whose offerings should never be missed. . . . I hope the WCO is around for a long, long time." (The Washington Post)   T. L. Ponick commented, "As always, the Washington Concert Opera ordered up a generous portion of delectable singing, making this Luisa -- sans sets and costumes -- a truly memorable night at the opera. . . .Winners, too, were the orchestra and chorus." 

More About WCO

Since its founding in 1986, WCO has presented 37 operas in a concert format, featuring singers who regularly appear in the world’s most renowned opera houses -- the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and Paris Opera Bastille, among others. The roster of artists the company has brought, and often introduced, to local audiences includes Renee Fleming, Stephanie Blythe, Elizabeth Futral, Ben Heppner, Deborah Voigt, James Morris, Denyce Graves, Sumi Jo, Richard Leech, and Luis Lima. Young artists also made their area debuts with WCO to critical acclaim such as, in recent seasons, Sarah Coburn, Celena Shafer, Kenneth Tarver, and Lawrence Brownlee, winner of the 2006 Richard Tucker and Marian Anderson Awards.

Washington Concert Opera has also offered an in-schools opera education program throughout the D.C. metropolitan area. More than 40,000 students in over 200 schools were introduced to the lively world of opera as ensembles of talented singers took their stage artistry into the classroom.

Our support organization, the Guild for Washington Concert Opera offers programs to enhance your enjoyment of WCO productions and provides educational and social opportunities for area opera-lovers.  Membership is open to anyone paying the modest dues.

Washington Concert Opera will present Rossini's Bianca e Falliero on Sunday, April 13, 2008, at 6 p.m. at Lisner Auditorium.  Click on Our 2007-2008 Season for information about this presentation and on Seating and Tickets for ordering information.