For 20 years under Freedman, the company produced opera at Dayton's Memorial Hall.
From 1981 to 1993 the company operated in partnership with the Michigan Opera Theatre under artistic director David DiChiera and other administrators.
The late 1990s saw the company grow in stature and independence, culminating in a move to the new Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center in 2003.
It has presented many prominent guest stars, including Plácido Domingo, Martina Arroyo, and Deborah Voigt, among others.
The Dayton Opera is a not-for-profit organization funded by individual and corporate contributions as well as county and state support.