HISTORY
Founded by conductor Nathaniel Meyer in 2025, the New Opera Company of Boston brings together talented musicians, opera singers, directors, and production artists from throughout the Boston area. The Company is inspired by the legacy of Sarah Caldwell and her pioneering Opera Company of Boston, one of the most innovative and influential opera companies of its era, renowned for adventurous programming and for launching the careers of many singers who went on to become leading figures in the opera world.
The New Opera Company of Boston was established following the successful spring 2025 production of Puccini’s first opera, Le Villi. Organized and conducted by Nathaniel Meyer, the production was presented in cooperation with the Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts, with the participation of its choral society. The cast was drawn in part from participants in the inaugural Gala Opera Competition, while the orchestra brought together professional freelance musicians and talented performers from the local community.
Building on that foundation, the Company presented Verdi’s masterpiece La Traviata in June 2026. The production featured soloists with credits including performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and Teatro alla Scala in Milan, alongside musicians and artists from the Boston area.
In July 2026, the Company presented The Maestro!, a new comic adaptation of Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne and The Impresario. The production combined two of Mozart’s early theatrical works into a contemporary, comedic evening designed to introduce these rarely performed works to a new generation of audiences.
In August 2026, the New Opera Company of Boston launched the inaugural Nantucket Opera Festival, a summer artist-residency program bringing emerging and established opera singers together in an intensive environment of performance, collaboration, and artistic development.
The New Opera Company of Boston is committed to presenting adventurous opera, creating opportunities for exceptional emerging artists, and building meaningful connections between professional performers and the vibrant community of musicians and audiences throughout New England. In the spirit of Sarah Caldwell, the Company seeks to make opera both artistically ambitious and accessible—while providing a place where new voices, ideas, and careers can flourish.
VISION
The New Opera Company of Boston is igniting a renaissance in American opera. With bold artistic vision and a deep commitment to excellence, we present powerful productions that pair rising stars with celebrated professionals—creating unforgettable performances that resonate with today’s audiences. We are building a regional presence across the Northeast, bringing opera beyond traditional boundaries. Our repertoire celebrates the full spectrum of the art form: from beloved masterpieces to rarely performed gems, as well as new operas that speak to the present moment. Driven by education, community, and discovery, we are shaping the future of opera—one thrilling production at a time.
Executive and Artistic
Director, Conductor
Nathaniel Meyer
Conductor Nathaniel Meyer brings visionary leadership and electrifying artistry to the New Opera Company of Boston. Praised as “a new, dynamic Leonard Bernstein,” Meyer is known for his powerful interpretations of rarely heard masterworks and his passionate advocacy for rediscovered composers. He has conducted across Europe and the Americas, with recent appearances including the Hungarian National Orchestra and the Prague Philharmonia. As Music Director of the Du Bois Orchestra, he championed premieres of long-lost works. He is also the Music Director of the Southeastern Philharmonic Orchestra. A Yale graduate and LaGuardia Conducting Competition winner, Meyer combines deep musical scholarship with a bold, dramatic sensibility that defines the company’s artistic voice.
Board of Directors
Mary Gardill
A graduate of Harvard and Oxford, Mary Gardill has served on numerous non-profit boards, organized over 1000 events, and is experienced in real-estate investment.
Max Hobart
American conductor and violinist, Max Hobart is the former concert master of the Boston Pops, Associate Concertmaster of the Boston Symphony, and has performed with the New Orleans Symphony, the National Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra. One of the most respected musicians and teachers in Boston, he is conductor emeritus of the Boston Civic Symphony, the Wellesley Symphony, and is currently the conductor of the Metro West Sympony.
Jenny Leinsdorf Belok
The daughter of the legendary conductor Erich Leinsdorf, winner of three Grammy Awards for best opera recordings, and former conductor of both the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera. Raised in an operatic milieu, in close contact with many of the greatest singers of the 20th Century, Ms. Belok has been a noted lecturer to music groups and opera societies throughout the country.
Peter Thomson
Peter Thomson is a Harvard graduate, retired businessman and a lover of music, especially opera. He resides on Beacon Hill.
