MEET MORE OF OUR 2025 WOMEN OF DISTINCTION
Leading the Florentine Opera for the last six years, Maggey Oplinger has ushered Milwaukee’s opera company through a brand refresh that’s “tongue in cheek, a very approachable, fun, playful Florentine,” she says.
Her goal is to make the company’s performances resonate with everyone, with fresh, modern takes on timeless classics, bold re-imaginings, and a touch of the unexpected in every show they stage. “You should feel like this is your opera company,” she says.
Every year, the company puts on four world-class performances, carefully curated for its Milwaukee audience.
And her leadership has seen results: Ticket sales are up 55% year-over-year and 64% of the audience is new at every show. “I’m incredibly proud of the team here at the Florentine for all we’ve achieved together,” Oplinger says
Now she’s looking ahead to a major milestone – in eight years, the Florentine turns 100. “We’re incredibly excited,” she says. “Our work is both retrospective and looking to the future.”
“You should feel like this is your opera company.”
Q&A
What led you to your field?
In middle school, I had the opportunity to go to an arts camp and fell in love with singing. I come from a sports family so I think they’re still a little confused about what went wrong.
What are some of the greatest challenges you’ve overcome in your career?
In every job I’ve had, the number-one roadblock is ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ Overcoming the status quo is so hard. We can get collectively too comfortable in what we’re doing and not look around for those opportunities that can be part of a changing landscape.
