AOP's mission is to identify, develop and present new and innovative works of music theater by emerging and established artists and to engage our audiences in an immersive, transformative theatrical experience.

AOP (American Opera Projects, Inc.) is a driving force behind the revitalization of contemporary opera and musical theater in the United States through its exclusive devotion to creating, developing, and presenting new American opera and music theatre projects.

Founded in 1988 by Artistic Director (1988-2001) Grethe Barrett Holby, AOP has commissioned new works from some of this country’s most talented composers and librettists, and steers projects through from initial conception to final production.

AOP developed productions have appeared at the Lincoln Center Festival, London’s Royal Opera House, New York City Opera, the Fort Worth Opera Festival, Skirball Center at NYU, the Guggenheim Museum, Symphony Space, the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia, the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts, The Goethe Institute, Berlin’s Stükke Theater and Max Kade Auditorium, Aleksander Fredro Teatr in Poland, the Ensemble Theater am Petersplatz in Vienna, TADA! Children’s theater, The Center for Jewish History, 1794 Meeting House, the Daryl Roth 2 Theatre, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and at many out-of-doors performances sponsored by the City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation.

AOP is a member of OPERA America, Fort Greene Association, the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance, the New York Opera Alliance, and Alliance of Resident Theatres/ New York (A.R.T./NY). American Opera Projects is an IRS recognized 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.