About Us
Electric Opera Company is dedicated to revitalizing the popularity of opera and classical music through education and performance; and to break down the barriers to these arts by presenting then in a modern, accessible medium.
Electric Opera Company is a groundbreaking nonprofit theater company based in Portland, Oregon that combines the worlds of Opera and Rock music. Wielding the force of a 15 piece Electric Orchestra, EOC revitalizes classic scores to bring the music of Mozart, Wagner, Rossini, and other masters of opera to a new generation. This multi-tiered organization runs diverse programs ranging from teaching music to children, to playing rock concerts at local clubs, to fully staged operas.
The Orchestra: What really separates Electric Opera Company from anyone else in the music industry is its Electric Orchestra. The members of the orchestra play the exact parts as written by the composer, and the singing is operatic. But the instruments typically associated with classical music are replaced with an army of electric guitars, keyboards, and drums. The result is a sound unlike anything else in music.
Opera Performances: In April of 2009, Electric Opera Company staged a production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville with the help of an all student cast and crew. The Mago Hunt Theater was practically sold out, brining over 500 faces to see EOC’s pilot production. The show went over great and response was wonderful! The show is being re-vamped for a re-staging in July 2010, stay tuned for more info! More operas and big productions are in the works for later this year and into 2011 and beyond, including Gounod’s Faust, and maybe even a Ballet…
Education: In the end, everything we do is about education. Opera is such a rich art form that it has educational value for everyone, from elementary school to the retirement home and everywhere in between! However, EOC has a strong education department that is focused on bringing classical music to children through the instruments that their favorite musicians play: Electric Guitars. Educational Performances at assemblies and electric guitar ensemble classes are a sample of what we offer. For more information, head to our Education Department’s page.
Rock Concerts: Having so many electric guitars and a full drum kit means that we also fit in easily at your local Rock club! We reprise hits from the main stage productions and add other classical favorites to the set list. Don’t be surprised if you realize you’re actually familiar with most of the pieces we play! Who knew Vivaldi could be so accessible. 2009 saw appearances at Portland’s Mississippi Pizza, Hawthorne Theater, Berbati’s Pan, Backspace, The Woods, and on Ethos Live! 2010 will see more of the same, with a show already scheduled for February 26th at Berbati’s with Metal Shakespeare Company!