Opera Grand Rapids
Opera Grand Rapids’ mission is to foster and fulfill demand for high‑quality live opera in West Michigan by producing professional mainstage productions, presenting educational programs, and engaging community audiences.
About Opera Grand Rapids
Opera Grand Rapids is a professional, donor‑facing opera company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is widely documented as the state’s longest‑running professional opera company (founded in the late 1960s). Its stated mission is to foster and fulfill demand for high‑quality live opera in West Michigan; the company produces mainstage operas, presents the regional VanderLaan collegiate vocal competition, and operates the Betty Van Andel Opera Center as its production and education hub.
In the last 2–3 years Opera Grand Rapids has remained programmatically active: it presented La Bohème in collaboration with the Grand Rapids Symphony (2024 season activities), continued its annual VanderLaan Prize collegiate competition (most recently awarding a $10,000 first prize in 2026), and mounted an internationally co‑produced Madama Butterfly scheduled for May 2026 in partnership with other North American companies. The organization also runs year‑round education and outreach offerings (Opera Tots, Opera Camp, OPERAtunity, the West Michigan Collegiate Consortium and scholarship/prize programs) that serve students and emerging singers in the region.
The EIN 38-6142941 for Opera Grand Rapids was verified against public IRS/Form 990 records and nonprofit registry filings; the organization maintains an active website, recent season announcements, and ongoing fundraising events (for example, the annual Night With the Opera gala), indicating it is an operating, donor‑facing charity.
Notable achievements
VanderLaan Prize (Collegiate Vocal Competition)
Opera Grand Rapids administers the VanderLaan Prize, a nationally recognized collegiate vocal competition that provides cash awards and career development opportunities to emerging singers (the 2026 competition awarded a $10,000 first prize and travel stipends to finalists). Winners and finalists are regularly considered for roles and professional exposure through the company’s productions.
Betty Van Andel Opera Center (LEED‑certified facility)
The company’s Betty Van Andel Opera Center functions as its production, costume, rehearsal and administrative home; completed in 2010, the facility is noted for its sustainable design and was promoted as a LEED‑certified opera production center supporting local production capacity and community rentals.
Recent international co‑production (Madama Butterfly, 2026)
In 2026 Opera Grand Rapids was involved in its first international co‑production of Madama Butterfly in partnership with other North American companies, featuring an all‑female, AAPI creative team—an expansion of the company’s collaborative production model and a demonstration of regional influence.
At a glance
- Total assets
- $1.9M
- Annual revenue
- $1.1M
- Tax status
- 501(c)(3)Public charity
- EIN
- 38-6142941
- Location
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Website
- www.operagr.org
- On Mahalo since
- May 2026
Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.
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