Who we are.
We are an opera company that performs on and around Mount Desert Island, home to Acadia National Park, in the heart of Downeast Maine.
Our mission is to continue the rich tradition of classical music in the area through operatic performance, community engagement, and interactive educational programs.
We employ world-class artists, support local talent, and serve the year-round and summer communities in and around Acadia National Park.
Our legacy.
Opera Acadia draws upon the rich history of first-rate classical music performances on Mount Desert Island, dating back to the early twentieth century.
Violinist Fritz Kreisler, soprano Emma Eames, pianist Ignacy Jan Panderewski, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra are just a few of the noted musicians and ensembles invited to perform in the world-renowned Bar Harbor Building of Arts (shown above and below), whose architect also designed the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The building sadly burned down in a forest fire that affected much of the island in 1947.
Though this feat of Greco-Roman architecture no longer exists, the historical golf course next to which it was originally constructed is still standing and fully operational. Since the 1800’s, Kebo Golf Course and Acadia National Park have hosted many distinguished guests, including Presidents William Taft and Barack Obama.
Other performing arts centers in Bar Harbor also rose to notoriety in the twentieth century, including the Criterion and Star Theaters, which hosted vaudeville acts, operas, films, and plays. Still active, the Criterion Theater hosts a variety of musical and cultural events, including the first performances of Opera Acadia’s Inaugural season.
