Florida Grand Opera (FGO) is an American opera company based in Miami, Florida. FGO was created in 1994 from the consolidation of two opera companies in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale region:
FGO stages productions at the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House, located in the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, and also at the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale. From 1951 until 2006, the company's home theater was the Dade County Auditorium in Miami.
Under the name of "Greater Miami Opera", Emerson Buckley was the company's music director from 1950 to 1973, and then served as artistic director and principal conductor through 1986.[1] Willie Anthony Waters, who had become chorus master of the company in 1982[2], then served as music director from 1986 through 1992[3] and principal conductor from 1992 to 1995.[4]
FGO's current General Director is Robert Heuer, who joined FGO as Director of Production in 1979 and became General Director in 1985. He is scheduled to retire from FGO after the 2012-2013 season.[5] Stewart Robertson was FGO music director from 1997 to 2010. Ramon Tebar was named FGO's next music director in March 2011, and formally assumed the post on 1 June 2011.[6] Andrew Bisantz currently serves as FGO's Resident Conductor, and John Keene is FGO's chorus director.
FGO's work in contemporary opera has included the world premieres of these operas:
FGO has also staged the US premieres of Rossini's Bianca e Falliero and the final revised version of Alberto Franchetti's Cristoforo Colombo.