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Gold Coast Opera
was founded by Dr. Thomas Cavendish in May of 1979 as Broward County's first
producing opera company. It was created to present a production for the 1979-80
Cultural Affairs Series at Broward Community College. With the
success of that production - Humperdinck's HANSEL AND GRETEL, the company
was firmly established. By the end
of the company's third season, greater public recognition required increasing to
two productions each season.
In 1989, the
number of productions offered per season increased to three.
Subscription series were being sold at each of the company's
 venues
and artists of international fame including Roberta Peters, Jerome
Hines, Spiro Malas, and Dominic Cossa appeared with the company. In
addition, many young artists who were featured by the company have
since gone on to national and international careers, most notably
Adria Firestone and Metropolitan Opera artists, Dean Peterson and
Gregory Kunde. Subscriptions rose to five thousand, requiring the
number of performances per productions to be increased from two to
four.
Special
performances were also mounted for other organizations: THE MIKADO
for Ft. Pierce's
Treasure Coast Opera, THE MERRY WIDOW for the Opera Guild of Fort
Lauderdale, and THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, THE TELEPHONE and TRIAL BY
JURY for the Huntington Lakes Concert Series. During this time,
The Gold Coast Singers was formed as a promotional and marketing
outreach for the opera. This performing group continues to perform
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audiences in
condominiums, country clubs, and theatres throughout the
tri-county
region.
The third phase
of development began in 1989 with the organization of the Gold
 Coast
Symphony under the corporate umbrella of the opera company. The
orchestra performed more than 130 services per season as the
exclusive ensemble for Miami City Ballet, the C oral
Ridge Concert Series, Gold Coast Opera, Treasure Coast Opera, and
other musical organizations. In August 1991,the association between
Gold Coast Opera and the orchestra was discontinued when the
ensemble became officially recognized as the orchestra for Miami
City Ballet. Gold Coast Opera added a fifth performance of
each production at Coral Springs City Centre in addition its season
at BCC Omni Auditorium, Bailey Hall,
and Olympic Heights in Boca Raton. Matinee performances were added
for the convenience of older audience members and complimentary
tickets were offered to various underprivileged groups in the
community as well as to high school and college students. The
company returned to Coral Springs Center for the Arts, following the
completion of renovations at the Center's marvelous facility and
relocated its BCC Omni performances
there at
the same time. In an
effort to develop new audiences and raise funds, the company presented Marvin Hamlisch in concert at Boca
Raton's FAU Auditorium. The company mounted a 20th Anniversary Festival during
the 1999-2000 Season which featured a touring production (conducted by GCO's
Music Director, Thomas Cavendish) of Teatro Lirico d'Europa's TURANDOT.
Concerts were also given in conjunction with the Museum of
Art- Ft Lauderdale's Pissarro
Exhibition and at the First Presbyterian Church in Ft Lauderdale.
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The company added the Eissey
Campus Theatre, located in the vibrant community of Palm Beach Gardens as a new
venue during the 2000-01 season.
For our 2006, 26th Season, Gold Coast
Opera is proud
to present 3 full length
opera productions at the
following venues.
For dates and ticket info,
click the venue link below.
FAU
University Center
Auditorium
Boca Raton, FL
 Ticket information
Eissey Campus Theatre
Palm Beach
Community College
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Ticket information
Broward Center
for the Performing Arts
Amaturo Theater
201 SW Fifth Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Ticket information
Coral Springs
Center for the Arts
2855 Coral Springs Drive
Coral Springs, FL
Ticket information
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