Milwaukee Opera Theatre

Milwaukee Opera Theatre (MOT) strives "to create dynamic singer-centered art; explore the beauty of the human voice; spark the imagination of both audiences and artists; and transform the bountiful landscape of classic and contemporary lyric theatre." We are committed to meeting the professional development expectations set forth by the artists with whom we work, creating our season each year to reflect our artists' goals and assisting them through various programs and services as they grow in their craft.  Furthermore, we aim to employ primarily artists who live and work in Southeastern Wisconsin, providing them with valuable opportunities to develop their talents, as well as enrich the communities in which they live.

Milwaukee Opera Theatre was founded in 1998 by Charissa York Glazner, an enterprising young soprano who recognized the need for a community-based professional opera company in the Milwaukee area. York collaborated with singers, directors, and instrumentalists who were committed to producing operas readily accessible to the community in which they lived and worked. During MOT’s premiere season (1999), the young company presented Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutti. The box-office success of that production, coupled with extraordinary community support, allowed MOT to expand its season to three productions the following year. Currently, MOT produces four to five projects each season, ranging from full productions to readings of new works, with special emphasis on local art and artists.  In addition to our productions, we offer bi-monthly Voice Lab workshops, free of charge, to area singers, both emerging artists and established professionals.