Union Avenue Opera

🎭 The Stage is Set: Union Avenue Opera’s 31st Festival Season is Here! 🎶

Big Impact. Bold Artistry. Unforgettable Opera—Made in St. Louis.

Now in its 31st Festival Season, Union Avenue Opera (UAO) continues to be a pillar of artistic innovation and community engagement in the heart of St. Louis. Since 1995, UAO has earned its place as a beloved institution, renowned for producing fully staged operas in original languages—on a modest annual budget just over $505,500. That’s right: UAO creates opera magic on a shoestring, proving that vision and community can work wonders.

🎉 This summer, UAO returns with an electrifying 2025 Festival Season:

✨ My Fair Lady – The beloved Lerner & Loewe classic reimagined for the opera stage (July 5, 6m, 11, 12)
✨ Josephine / Pagliacci – A powerful double-bill celebrating strength, sorrow, and soul-stirring drama (July 25, 26, August 1, 2)
✨ Salome – Strauss’s dark and dazzling masterpiece, bold and breathtaking (August 15, 16, 22, 23)

But the excitement doesn’t end in summer—this year, UAO proudly launches its inaugural Fall One-Act Festival, an intimate and thought-provoking new addition to the season. This bold initiative highlights contemporary opera at its most powerful, featuring two compelling works: dwb (driving while black), a poignant solo chamber opera exploring the realities of race, identity, and motherhood in America, and As One, a critically acclaimed piece that follows a transgender protagonist’s journey toward authenticity and self-discovery. These one-act operas challenge, inspire, and reflect the diverse stories of our time—offering audiences a fresh way to experience opera’s emotional depth in an up-close setting.

Each season, UAO hires more than 130 talented professionals— nearly 90% from the St. Louis region—infusing our city’s arts economy with jobs, opportunity, and creative energy. From singers and instrumentalists to scenic designers and costumers, UAO is powered by the local arts community it serves.

UAO is also a champion for emerging talent through its acclaimed CRESCENDO! training program, offering free professional development to local collegiate artists. With $25,500 in scholarships awarded, and over 100 professional roles filled by alumni, UAO is nurturing the next generation of operatic talent.

And the accolades? They speak volumes. UAO has received 25 St. Louis Theater Circle nominations, winning four—including Outstanding Opera Production for A Little Night Music and La bohème.

🎼 Whether you’re stepping into UAO’s historic home on Union Boulevard for the first time or have been moved by its magic for years, your support makes it all possible.

📣 On Give STL Day, join us. Celebrate this milestone season and help Union Avenue Opera continue creating unforgettable experiences, elevating local artists, and enriching our city with the transformative power of live opera.

💛 Every dollar is a note in our song. Let’s make this season a masterpiece—together.