San Diego Opera

Tito Capobianco served as general director from 1976 to 1983, during which time he "expanded the season to six productions, featuring renowned superstars such as Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti and Beverly Sills",[2] as well as beginning an annual two-opera Verdi Festival[2] which ceased in 1984 after his departure.

On March 19, 2014, the opera's board of directors voted to cease operations after its final performance on April 13, 2014, citing diminishing audiences and increasing costs.

[5] The announcement came as a shock to the public, because the company has no debt and had given no hint it was contemplating closure; director Campbell explained that the board decided to "wind down with dignity and grace" rather than become bankrupt.

[10] Following Campbell's departure in May 2014, William Mason, the former director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, was appointed to the newly created position of artistic adviser to SDO.

[16] Notable productions include the world premieres of Gian Carlo Menotti's La Loca (1979, written for and starring Beverly Sills); Myron Fink's The Conquistador (1993); and Alva Henderson's Medea.

United States premieres included Daniel Catán's Rapaccini's Daughter, Hans Werner Henze's Der junge Lord, Riccardo Zandonai's Giulietta e Romeo, and Emmanuel Chabrier's Gwendoline.

[16] Additional notable performances and productions include the farewell performance of Beverly Sills opposite Joan Sutherland in Die Fledermaus (1980);[17] the San Diego Opera-commissioned productions by Zandra Rhodes of The Magic Flute (2001)[18] and The Pearl Fishers (2004);[19] and the West Coast premieres of Giuseppe Verdi's Giovanna d'Arco and I Lombardi, and of Sergei Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges.