Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) is an American summer opera festival held in St. Louis, Missouri. Typically four operas, all sung in English, are presented each season, which runs from late May to late June. Performances are accompanied by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, which is divided into two ensembles, each covering two of the operas, for the season. The company's performances are presented in the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Webster University.
In 1976, Leigh Gerdine, Laurance L. Browning Jr. and James Van Sant co-founded OTSL. They hired Richard Gaddes, who at the time was working at The Santa Fe Opera, as the company's first artistic director. They signed him as full-time general director in 1978 at the suggestion of Ed Korn, who was brought in as a consultant from the Metropolitan Opera. Gaddes acknowledged that the model for OTSL was The Santa Fe Opera:
That was not a coincidence. I always say that John Crosby sired the Opera Theater of St. Louis. The whole concept was modeled on Santa Fe, and part of the idea was that the apprentices here would feed into St. Louis. Which they did.[1]
During the early seasons, the company had a major influence with such achievements as first joint BBC/WNET telecast of Albert Herring and in 1983 the first appearance by any U.S. opera company at the Edinburgh International Festival. The first production of a Japanese opera in Japan by any American company was followed by a return to Tokyo in September 2001 to present the Japanese premiere of the classic Genji Monogatari, adapted as an opera by Minoru MikiasThe Tale of Genji.
The company trains young artists in the Gerdine Young Artists program, named for Opera Theatre's founding board chairman, Leigh Gerdine. The Gerdine Young Artists serve as the annual chorus for the company, as the company does not retain a resident chorus. OTSL chorus directors have included Donald Palumbo, Cary John Franklin, Sandra Horst, and Robert Ainsley. In February 2020, OTSL announced the appointment of Walter Huff as its next chorus director.[10] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic however, Huff never formally took up the post.
Succeeding Gaddes as OTSL general director was Charles MacKay, who held the post from 1985 to 2008. MacKay had previously served as OTSL executive director, beginning in 1984. MacKay led the campaign to construct and fund the new Sally S. Levy Opera Center, a new and permanent administrative home and year-round rehearsal facility for the organisation. In addition, in 2005, OTSL adopted projected English-language supertitles in the theatre.[11][12] From 1985 until his death in April 2007, the OTSL artistic director was Colin Graham.[13] From 1991 to 2017, OTSL's music director was Stephen Lord.[14] Lord subsequently held the title of OTSL music director emeritus until his resignation in June 2019, following publication of allegations of sexual misconduct.[15] In June 2017, OTSL announced the appointment of Roberto Kalb as its resident conductor, effective with the 2018 season.[16]
In September 2007, OTSL named James Robinson as the company's next artistic director, and Timothy O'Leary to the position of executive director.[17][18] MacKay concluded his OTSL tenure as general director on September 30, 2008.[19] In June 2008, OTSL named O'Leary as its third general director, effective October 1, 2008.[20] O'Leary concluded his OTSL general directorship on June 30, 2018.[21]
In April 2018, OTSL announced the appointment of Andrew Jorgensen as its next general director, effective July 2, 2018.[22] In July 2020, OTSL's then-director of artistic administration, Damon Bristo, was arrested for child sex trafficking in the second degree. He was placed on unpaid leave and later resigned.[23] In February 2022, OTSL announced simultaneously the extension of Robinson's contact as artistic director through 2026, and the appointment of Daniela Candillari as its new principal conductor, with an initial contract of three years. Candillari is the first female conductor to be named principal conductor of the company.[24] In October 2022, OTSL announced an extension to Jorgensen's contract as OTSL general director through June 2028.[25] In February 2024, OTSL announced an extension to Candillari's contract as OTSL general director through June 2028.[26]
