Chelsea Opera

Chelsea Opera is an opera company located in New York City, founded in April 2004 by Leonarda Priore and Lynne Hayden-Findlay, both singers, who sought to create more performance opportunities with chamber orchestra within the tri-state areas of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Since the company's inception, musical direction has been provided by conductor Carmine Aufiero. In 2008, the company named Michael Megliola as Resident Lighting Designer and Garry Ianco as Orchestral Contractor.

The company's range of performances includes many from the "standard repertoire", but also extends to modern works such as the November 2010 production of Tom Cipullo’s Glory Denied, based on the oral biography of Tom Philpott, which garnered an outstanding review from Allan Kozinn in The New York Times and Opera News as well as This is the rill speaking and vocal chamber piece, Bermudas, both celebrating the 85th birthday of American composer Lee Hoiby.

Each season now includes multiple offerings within its concert series, Chelsea Opera presents…, a series of thematic concerts featuring the company’s principal singers and guest artists, whose number now exceeds 250 who have performed principal roles, sung in the ensemble, been involved in design/production, and played in the Chelsea Opera Chamber Orchestra (“COCO”).