During Venetian rule the people of Corfu developed a fervent appreciation of Italian opera which was the source of the extraordinary musical development of the island during this era. The original opera house was that of the Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo (now the town hall) where the first opera to be performed was in 1733 and for over two hundred years nearly every major opera from the Italian tradition, as well as many others from Greek and French composers, was performed on the stage of the San Giacomo this impressive tradition invoked an exceptional musical heritage and it is said that operatic performers who found success at the theatre were distinguished with the accolade "applaudito in Corfu" as a tribute to the discriminating musical taste of the island audience. In 1902 San Giacomo's place was taken by the Municipal Theatre which was a smaller replica of La Scala, Milan and maintained the operatic tradition vividly until its destruction during World War II as a result of a  German air raid in 1442. The subsequent absence of a main venue during the postwar years left Corfu without an opera company.

Now after 68 years we are proud to announce the rebirth of opera in Corfu with the founding of The Corfu Chamber Opera. Our vision is to recreate the tradition of opera lost with the destruction of the old opera house and we intend to inaugurate a 10 day festival which will take place each year at the end of August and beginning of September in the old castle as well as other venues. In addition we will stage concert performances at other times of the year which will include not just opera but other genres as well. Productions will embrace the traditional repertoire as well as works by Greek composers and we intend to combine singers of international renown with young aspiring performers from Greece.

Our founder and inspiration is the Corfu born soprano Rosa Poulimenou who was born in Corfu where she studied piano and music theory at the local conservatoire. She continued her studies in musicology and classical singing at the American College of Greece, London University, Birmingham Conservatoire, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Music Academy of Vienna. She was also a scholar at the Academie Musicale de Villecroze, the Academie Internationale "Maurice Ravel", and the Bach Akademie of Stuttgart. Rosa has sung in Greece, Italy, Spain, France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Israel, Thailand and the United States performing in opera, oratorio, lied, musical theatre as well as contemporary music. She has appeared with numerous ensembles and orchestras including Melos Brass, Il Canto delle Muse, Tempo 2000, Almasis Ensemble, Athens Camerata, Orchestra of Colours, Sleven Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Recently she has performed at Carnegie Hall and with the Athens Opera in Madame Butterfly and Norma. She is in charge of the vocal studies division at the Ionian University Faculty of Music where she has been teaching classical singing since 1998. Rosa is now our Artistic Director and is passionate about bringing opera back to the island.

The Corfu Chamber Opera can only develop through the generous giving of those who would like to join us and there are various levels at which we invite you from a basic membership level through other levels of sponsorship. In particular we need a production sponsor and at the highest level an individual or company to be a founding sponsor. If you are interested in becoming a member or sponsor, you can find further details and an application form here.

We welcome and look forward to your support.

The Corfu Chamber Opera Board