Opera in Frankfurt am Main has a long tradition, with many world premieres such as Franz Schreker's Der ferne Klang in 1912, Fennimore und Gerda by Frederick Delius in 1919, and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana in 1937.

A historic opera house from 1880 was destroyed in World War II, and reconstructed as a concert hall, the Alte Oper.

Under the direction of the first Intendant Emil Claar [de] and the first Kapellmeister Felix Otto Dessoff, the house was opened with Mozart's opera Don Giovanni.

[6] During the 1920s, the opera in Frankfurt had more prominent Jewish singers than any other company in Germany, including the tenor Hermann Schramm, bass Hans Erl (the first King in Schreker's Der Schatzgräber), baritone Richard Breitenfeld and contralto Magda Spiegel, who also toured with Frankfurt Opera performing Wagner in the Netherlands.

[7] Jewish members of the opera company among those rounded up at 9 November 1938 at the Festhalle Frankfurt, where Erl sang In diesen Heilgen Hallen, from the Magic Flute for the deportees.

[12][13][14][15] This decade became known as the "Gielen Era",[16] notable for the music of a conductor who was also a composer, and directors including Ruth Berghaus and Hans Neuenfels, whose productions of standard works such as Verdi's Aida and Wagner's Ring Cycle were thought-provoking.

The company's current GMD is Thomas Guggeis, succeeding Sebastian Weigle, who held this position since 2008 until the end of season 2023–24.

[24][25] In 2023, they were distinguished also in the categories Chorus, directed by Tilman Michael, World premiere (for Blühen), and Rediscovery (for Die ersten Menschen).

[26] The company receiced the distinction again in 2024, with recognition also in the categories Chorus and Production (shared) for Wagner's Tannhäuser, conducted by Guggeis and directed by Matthew Wild.