Washington Opera goes ‘national’

The trustees of the Washington Opera have voted to change the company’s name to the Washington National Opera, effective immediately, said Michael Sonnenreich, company president.

According to Placido Domingo, the company’s general director, the new name is a reflection of “the fact that it is in the nation’s capital and therefore touches a wide national audience.”

The move comes almost four years after an act of Congress officially designated the troupe as the “national opera” of the United States. Why the delay?

“Four years ago, when Congress had the foresight to designate us as the ‘national’ opera, some of us had some hesitations about actually using the name,” Sonnenreich said. “But Domingo has made a dramatic change in the quality of our performances, and I no longer have any qualms about adopting the title.”