Founded in 1948 by the Charlotte Music Club, Opera Carolina is the largest Opera company in the Carolinas; annually serving more than 70,000 people in North Carolina and South Carolina (excluding broadcasts); reaching an average of seventeen counties in the Carolinas each year through its Education programs, and is a source of tourism to Charlotte for main stage productions at the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. Opera Carolina is an efficient organization with no accumulated debt, an Endowment fund of roughly $2.8mil, and an annual budget of $2.9 mil. The mission of Opera Carolina is to elevate the quality of life throughout the region's diverse communities through the presentation of excellent Opera and Education Programs. Opera Carolina is a member of OPERA America, Inc., and receives funds from the Arts & Science Council, and the North Carolina Arts Council.