Opera Pacific was an opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

 company located in the Orange County, California

Orange County, California

Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 city of Santa Ana

Santa Ana, California

Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....

. It operated for 22 seasons before closing in 2008 after several seasons of deepening financial difficulties.

History

The first season began in 1985 with David DiChiera

David DiChiera

David DiChiera is an American composer and founding general director of Michigan Opera Theatre.-Career:...

 as General Director (until 1996), though the company traces its roots to 1962 and the annual Festival of Opera Association in Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach, California

Laguna Beach is a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southwest of the county seat of Santa Ana...

, where productions were performed in late summer at the Irvine Bowl, in English. In order to promote expansion, the Opera League of Laguna Beach was established to "encourage, support and sustain interest in the Festival of Opera." The first productions included such traditional repertory as Madame Butterfly, The Marriage of Figaro

The Marriage of Figaro

Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...

, and The Barber of Seville

The Barber of Seville

The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...

; I Pagliacci and The Devil and Daniel Webster

The Devil and Daniel Webster

"The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét. This retelling of the classic German Faust tale is based on the short story "The Devil and Tom Walker", written by Washington Irving...

were presented as a double billing during the 1965 season.

In the early 1980s members of the Opera Leaque, along with other opera aficionados throughout Orange County, combined to form the core audience for the anticipated opening of the Orange County Performing Arts Center

Orange County Performing Arts Center

The Orange County Performing Arts Center is a performing arts complex located in Costa Mesa, California, United States.The Center offers the world’s leading dance companies, Broadway shows, award-winning classical, jazz and cabaret artists, family entertainment, special events and year-round...

 in neighboring Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa, California

Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light...

, at which time Opera Pacific was incorporated. Opera Pacific has been host to many of opera's greatest living legends, including the likes of Luciano Pavarotti

Luciano Pavarotti

right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...

 in 1988, Dame Joan Sutherland

Joan Sutherland

Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s....

 in 1989, and in 1991 Plácido Domingo

Plácido Domingo

Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...

 (in concert with soprano Ann Panagulias). Diva Kathleen Battle

Kathleen Battle

Kathleen Battle , is an African-American operatic soprano known for her agile and light voice and her silvery, pure tone. Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performances with major orchestras during the early and mid 1970s. She made her opera debut in...

 also made an appearance in 2001.

At its peak the company put on six productions each year, staging around six performances of each, but in its last years this fell to three staged operas in four performances each. Its financial artistic director was John DeMain

John DeMain

John DeMain is an American conductor. In 2011 he begins his 18th season as music director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Wisconsin. He is also artistic director of the Madison Opera. DeMain lives in Madison with his wife Barbara and their daughter Jennifer John DeMain is an American...

.

On November 4, 2008, Opera Pacific announced it will cancel the rest of its 2008/2009 season due to financial difficulties and will likely close down operations permanently.

The company ran an "Opera Camp" each summer.