Center City Opera Theater


Center City Opera Theater is an opera company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1999, CCOT is the only professional opera company in the United States whose mission is the creation of new opera works, guiding works from inception to stage through a series of workshops. CCOT performs at numerous intimate-setting venues throughout the Greater Philadelphia area, though its mainstage performance home is the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

History

Since its founding in 1999 by General and Artistic Director Andrew Kurtz, CCOT has produced over four dozen operas which include newly commissioned works and traditional operas. Through its Young Artist Program, CCOT provides professional training and performance opportunities for emerging young opera professionals. CCOT’s OPERAtunities in Education in-school program works with multiple partner schools in Philadelphia and surrounding areas.
In September 2008, CCOT launched ConNEXTions: The Next Generation of Opera during the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, presenting the world premieres and workshops of new works. Creative Development Projects, directed by Albert Innaurato, grew out of ConNEXTions and is an ongoing series which facilitates the production of new opera works through successive workshops, guiding a work from initial conception all the way to its world premiere.
Since 2010, in an attempt to cultivate broader opera audiences through intimate performances, CCOT has increasingly made use of site-specific venues, such as the Italian Market and the Comcast Center in Philadelphia.

Creative Development Projects