American Opera Company

The American Opera Company was a short-lived opera company founded in New York City in February, 1886. [“American Opera Organized” in the "New York Times", February 26, 1886.] It was the brain-child of Jeannette Meyers Thurber who had just founded the National Conservatory of Music of America a few months earlier. The American Opera Company was under the musical direction of Theodore Thomas. It rented the premises of the Academy of Music in New York City for local performances during 1886. It also toured, playing in April, May and June 1886 in, among other cities, Boston, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and St. Louis. The repertoire included Verdi’s "Aida", Wagner’s "Lohengrin", and Gounod’s "Faust". In August, the company announced an ambitious plan to travel to Paris, a trip that never came about. [ “They May Go Abroad” in the "New York Times", August 21, 1886.]

A succinct statement of Thurber’s vision for the American Opera Company appeared in August, 1886, when she was cited as “... [recognizing] the fact that the true conception of a national opera is opera sung in a nation’s language and, as far as practicable, the work of a nation’s composers, [and that she hoped] …in time to develop and patronize American composers.” [ “American Opera” in the "New York Times", Aug 18, 1886.]

Financial difficulties led to a reorganization and name change to the “National Opera Company” in December 1887 [“President Thomas No More” in the "New York Times", Dec. 6, 1886. ] and, ultimately, bankruptcy in March, 1887. [“Its debts not discharged” in the "New York Times", March 4, 1887. ]

In the mid-1920s, the name "American Opera Company" was revived by another New York City troupe, which produced what it termed "lyric drama", rather than true opera. It mounted adaptions of "Faust" in 1928 at the Gallo Theatre [“A New Version of 'Faust'” in the "New York Times", January 11, 1928, pg 26. ] , and of "Madame Butterfly" and "Yolanda of Cyprus" at the Casino Theatre on Broadway in January 1930. [“'Yolanda' Sung by Americans” in the "New York Times", January 9, 1930, pg 28. ]

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