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About
OPERA KANSAS

ROOTS + RISK  |  LOCAL HANDS, GLOBAL STANDARDS  |  STORIES THAT LIVE HERE

Opera Kansas creates and shares bold, Kansas-rooted opera. We mix familiar titles with fresh work, built here to global standards, and bring performances beyond the theater into neighborhoods, learning environments, and other signature and surprising spaces across Wichita and the state.

 

Celebrating four decades, we’ve paired uncompromising craft with plainspoken choices so Kansas stories can sing in the places people already gather.

Our Vision

A Kansas where opera is woven into the cultural fabric
— linking minds, stages, communities, and lives.

Our  Mission

Opera Kansas expands access to opera across the state with bold performances and mindful education, delivered in partnership with communities.

Our  Values

  • Plainspoken Bravery — We make bold calls and say exactly why.

  • Craft Without Compromise — Excellence is the kindness we owe artists and audiences.

  • Roots + Risk — Familiar anchors, fresh ideas—by design.

  • Local Hands, Global Standards — Built here. Benchmarked anywhere.

  • Stories That Live Here — Kansas voices on Kansas stages.

  • Opera Everywhere — The stage goes where people already are.

What We Deliver

Here’s what audiences, artists, and supporters can expect every season.

  • A purposeful repertory mix
    Beloved titles, unsung gems, and new work. Balanced openly so patrons get both comfort and discovery.

  • Stages & access that meet people where they are
    In-hall and around the region, with accessible pricing, first-timer-friendly notes and translations as needed, and clear wayfinding and host-partner support.

  • Opportunities for regional artists
    We employ and develop Kansas musicians and crews in a respectful, well-run, high-standard environment with the support needed to do their best work.

  • New work from here
    Commissions and adaptations that put Kansas stories onstage, with co-producing partners and mentor artists to raise the bar.

  • Learning & outreach
    Touring mini-operas and workshops hosted in libraries, local hubs, and campuses. Music-first, paperwork-light.

  • Honest stewardship
    We treat every dollar like it’s ours: set-aside funds for art-making, on-time reporting, and public updates on what your support makes possible.

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Our  History

In 1985 eighteen individuals met to form a group interested in promoting quality opera performance in Wichita and beyond. This group soon became Opera Kansas. These individuals were dedicated to bringing opera performances to the state and educating Kansans to this great art form, recognizing that with knowledge, follows appreciation.

 

Opera Kansas was incorporated in December 1985 as a 501 (c)(3).

During the early years, the group sponsored out-of-town trips to enjoy live opera performances, offered opera appreciation classes and presented film festivals that included Aida, Turandot, and La Forza del Destino.

 

In 1989, Opera Kansas produced its first opera. It staged the one-act opera, An Evening with Amadeus, as an official River Festival event. The production was so well received that for the next ten years, one-act operas were presented annually at the River Festival.

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Some of the operas presented were Arabian Nights at the Opera, Gianni Schicihi, The Old Maid and the Thief, The Telephone, Gallantry, The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, and The Marriage Contract.

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Over the past three decades, the company has brought many national and international opera performers to Wichita audiences. Some of these artists include Joyce DiDinato, Samuel Ramey, Nicholas Saverine, Charlene Ayers, Brian Frutiger, Michael Nansel and a host of other high quality performers that reflect the organizations’ mission.

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Throughout its history, well-known leaders of Wichita have led Opera Kansas. Foremost was Burton Pell who served as president and producer for many years. Other community leaders have been Willard and Jean Garvey, Mary Koch, Dan and Shoko Sevart, Harald Boschmann, Delmar Klocke, Al Buck, Van and Virginia Fiser, Dr. Walter Myers, Dr. George and Mary Jane Gibson, Dr. Jerold and Diane Leisy, and Sherri Pilgreen.

Our  Team

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Zeffin Hollis, Executive Director

Zeffin Hollis is a nationally recognized baritone, director, and educator whose work spans major opera houses, new music premieres, and televised performances across three continents. He now leads Opera Kansas into its 40th season with a clear mission: to make opera more immediate, inclusive, and locally rooted.

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Hollis has performed over 100 leading roles with companies including Dallas Opera, New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Chicago Opera Theatre. His credits include both classics like Tosca and Carmen and modern works such as The Central Park Five, winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music. His performances have been broadcast internationally on MezzoTV, DunaTV, and KCET.

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A Kansas native, Zeffin returned to Wichita in 2020 and brings both artistic depth and strategic leadership to his role. He also serves as Co-Artistic Director and Managing Director of OperaWorks in Los Angeles and holds an MBA from Kansas State University. His leadership focuses on empowering artists, building civic partnerships, and expanding access to meaningful performance experiences.

Board  of  Directors

Jesse Koza, President

Cailyn Trevaskiss, Vice President

Kristin Chisham, Treasurer

Donell Leopold, Secretary

Charleen Ayers

Harald Boschmann

Dorothy Crum

Hannah Howard

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