Opera Memphis, currently under the leadership of Ned Canty, was established in 1956 as the premiere opera company in the Mid-South region. For nearly 60 years, Opera Memphis has staged over 200 productions of more than 75 operas, including numerous regional premieres and several world premieres like Michael Ching’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream — opera a cappella. It continues to produce operas that entertain, educate, and inspire the people of the Mid-South, delivering four to six mainstage shows per season, with worldclass singers accompanied by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. These productions attract thousands of local patrons, along with opera-lovers from around the country. Frequent performance venues include the Germantown Performing Arts Center, the Orpheum, and Playhouse on the Square.