We’re proud to feature Portland Opera as a Partners in Diversity member and celebrate their leadership in expanding access, deepening representation, and ensuring that the arts truly reflect and welcome our whole community.
For more than six decades, Portland Opera has been a cornerstone of Oregon’s arts and culture scene and a thoughtful leader in advancing representation and belonging within the performing arts.
Portland Opera brings a longstanding commitment to representation across every aspect of its work, from administrative leadership to performers onstage, creative teams behind the scenes, and the partners they collaborate with across the region. This commitment isn’t static; it’s an ongoing practice rooted in reflection, learning, and accountability as the organization continues working to be a stronger partner to the communities it serves.
At the heart of this work is a belief that opera is for everyone.
As Alfrelynn Roberts, Portland Opera’s Artistic Director, puts it: “You don’t know you don’t like opera. Once you experience it, you will understand the power of this art form.”
She adds, “Opera used to be for the elite. Now we’re trying to figure out how we diversify our audiences, and it goes back to telling stories that relate to everyday people. That’s how we transition into this era — we do the traditional, absolutely, and we also bring in new stories that represent different parts of our culture. It’s both-and, not either-or.”
And perhaps most importantly: “If you can see yourself on stage, then you can relate to what’s being done on that stage. There is something for everybody in our repertoire, and you belong at Portland Opera.”
