Martinez Opera Contra Costa

About Martinez Opera Contra Costa

The mission of Martinez Opera Contra Costa (MTZO) is to provide opportunities for children, teens, and adults to participate in a performing arts organization dedicated to the education, performance and appreciation of classical music, opera, and theater.  MTZO provides Contra Costa with programs that reach all socioeconomic levels, age groups, and ethnicities.  Our expected outcome is to create future audiences for opera, classical music, and theater while stimulating developing minds.



The Martinez Opera Company was originally founded in 1889 by Professor Walter Bartlett of Boston, the first opera company in California. At that time Martinez was the cultural center of Contra Costa County. After lying dormant for fifty years, it was reinstated as a non-profit organization in 2002. The scope of the opera company's vision includes: 1) Professional opera productions; 2) education of youth in and out of school; 3) outreach into the community; 4) strong leadership by artists; and 5) support by dedicated volunteers.