Opera Theatre Company

Opera Theatre Company (OTC) merged with Wide Open Opera in 2017 to form Irish National Opera, a new company launched in January 2018. Find out more about Irish National Opera's work.

OTC was founded in 1986 to create high quality opera productions that could be presented anywhere: from community centres to opera houses. In over 30 years, the company toured to more than 160 cities, towns, and villages across the island of Ireland, as well as touring to the UK, France, Belgium, Italy, the Czech Republic, the USA and Australia.

OTC had national and international success with baroque and early classical operas, as well as operas from the 20th century. In addition, the company commissioned and performed nine new operas by Irish composers. OTC also earned a strong reputation for high integrity site specific work.

For ten years from 2004 to 2014 OTC ran a Young Associate Artists’ Programme, which was the first programme in Ireland for the professional development of young opera singers. The programme was fortunate to have the acclaimed Ann Murray as patron, and Brenda Hurley as vocal consultant.  

OTC’s achievements would not have been possible without significant investment from the Arts Council. The support from Culture Ireland allowed OTC to present Irish opera abroad.