1999-2008 The Opera Goes Global 1999 – Stephanie Blythe debuts / 2001- partnership with Finland’s Savonlinna Opera Festival for Wagner’s Tannhäuser / first opera in Czech (2003 The Cunning Little Vixen) and Russian (2005 Eugene Onegin) / 2004 – Rizley Education Endowment Fund created / 2006 – Spanish surtitles introduced and co-producing company of The Little Prince	Little Prince Graham Phillips and Pilot David Adam Moore in Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince
1989-1998 Approaching the Golden Years 1990 – Artistic Director Nicholas Muni’s contemporary staging of La Traviata creates a national stir / 1991 – Laven Sowell awarded the Governor’s Arts Award / 1994 – General Manager Myrna Ruffner secures a National Endowment for the Arts Challenge Grant for Tulsa Opera’s Endowment Fund / 1997 – Carol I. Crawford named General Director	Tulsa Youth Opera is created in 1997 with a production of Hans Krása’s Brundibar.
1979-1988 Coming of Age 1979 – Third annual production added / 1980 – Simon Estes debuts / 1984 – surtitles (English translations) introduced / 1987 – The Wall Street Journal praises Tulsa Opera’s 1987 Don Carlo for “a cast that even La Scala would be envious of”	Luciano Pavarotti is greeted by Ed Purrington for the superstar tenor’s 1981 Endowment Fund benefit recital.
1969-1978 Opera on the Move 1975 – Edward C. Purrington named General Director and new Opera headquarters constructed / 1976 – Conductor Judith Somogi debuts / 1977 – Aida performed in the new PAC / 1978 – President’s Council founded	Beverly Sills in the 1978 I Puritani, her last performance in Tulsa before retiring entirely from the opera stage.
1959-1968 Early National Prominence 1959 – Il Trovatore features opera superstars Jussi Bjoerling, Leonard Warren, and Elinor Ross / 1960 – Anna Moffo debuts and 4,000 prism chandelier is covered in Life magazine / 1961 – First Opera Ball	Music Director Carlo Moresco, General Manager Jeanette Turner, Virginia Torres (founder of the Children’s Opera Workshops), and Chorus Master Laven Sowell celebrate an opening night performance.
1948-1958 The Beginnings Professional opera singers Ralph and Ione Sassano incorporate the Tulsa Opera Club in December, 1948 and produce Verdi’s La Traviata in downtown’s Central High School / The Guild of Tulsa Opera is formed in 1955	The original Tulsa Opera Headquarters building at 1610 South Boulder was purchased by Lady Maud Lorton Myers.