The Button Down Opera Project is a collective of professional musicians committed to bringing excellent, accessible, and unpretentious opera productions to audiences in Frederick, Maryland. 

​

Our Goals: 

• Provide performance opportunities for regional professional musicians with close ties to the state and our community.

• Provide the public, regardless of experience, background, or means, the opportunity to operatic masterworks on a pay-what-you-can admission basis. 

• Ensure that casting represents the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of our communities.

• Enrich the artistic offerings of the City of Frederick, which in turn has a positive impact on the economic strength of the community. 

​

Bohemian Beginnings

With generous support from the Ausherman Family Foundation and the Maryland State Arts Council, BDOP premiered in October 2021 with a full performance of Puccini’s La Bohème at the Frederick Arts Council Art Center. The intimately scaled production featured an amazing cast supported by piano quintet. The thirst for live performances following the COVID emergency was real. The performance was met with so much excitement from the public that we realized our next production would have to be significantly expanded to accommodate a larger audience.

​

You can view an excerpt from this production here.

​

In 2023 the Project returned with a production of Mozart's beloved and darkest operatic work, Don Giovanni, again with major support from the MSAC and Ausherman Family Foundation, as well as a generous gift from Jean Zakotnik.

​

Plans are underway for a performance of Rossini's Barber of Seville, coming in Spring 2024. 

​

Stay tuned!

​