Austin Opera is opening its long-awaited new Sarah and Ernest Butler Performance Center to the public on Saturday, September 26. A community day and ribbon cutting will mark the occasion. Then, the company will break in the new space, including the newly completed Sangeeta Teresa Mai and Hai Nguyen Theater, with the world premiere of Ofrenda, its first-ever commissioned work.
The center is located at 5811 Trade Center Drive in Southeast Austin. The address is in a cluster of buildings between State Highway 71 and McKinney Falls State Park; it also shares a block with Radio/East. It was already Austin Opera's headquarters, but now it will draw visitors as a "year-round cultural destination," a press release says. It will serve not just at Austin Opera's space, but a community asset.
Austin Opera unveiled its plans for the center's artistic contents in 2024 and initially expected it to be open in October of 2025.
The sign completes the building with a bit of color.Photo by Luzi Media
Austin Opera will use the space for performances, rehearsal, educational offerings, and gatherings, as will other local arts organizations. There's a new 189-seat theater that can be retracted to transform the space, plus four rehearsal rooms, a conference center, and event spaces both inside and outside. There will also be approximately 300 parking spaces, the release says.
The new theater is named after Vietnamese American singer Sangeeta Teresa Mai (Sangeeta Kaur) and her husband, Hai Nguyen. Kaur is a trustee of Austin Opera. She and Nguyen gave $500,000 to the project. They also celebrated the grand opening of Studio Hill Austin, a high fidelity recording studio, in Lakeway on September 9. Their donation marks the three-quarter mark for Austin Opera's goal of $8.5 million in its Inspire 2030 campaign.
An audience got a sneak peek at Ofrenda in the new theater.Photo by Marjorie Kamys
“Hai and I are honored to have the opportunity to support Austin Opera and to have our names associated with this extraordinary new theater,” said Sangeeta Teresa Mai in the release. “Austin is a city that embraces creativity, innovation and artists from around the world. We hope this gift helps create a space where artists can take risks, audiences can discover something new and our community can come together for generations to come.”
Austinites will likely recognize the center's namesakes, Sarah and Ernest Butler, since the two are longtime local arts philanthropists. The Butlers also established the Butler Fund for Spanish Programming, making the upcoming world premiere a fitting introduction to the new space.
Other Austinites can also put their name on a piece of the theater through the 5811 Club. They'll be able to make a $5,811 donation and put their names on one of the theater's seats. According to the release, 26 have been claimed so far.
In revealing the new center on September 26, Austin Opera will also host a community day from 2-6 pm. Guests will be able to check out the new space, see performances by Austin Opera performers, participate in a community altar attached to the Ofrenda premiere, and participate in family activities like an orchestra "petting zoo" (typically a chance for youth to touch musical instruments). The ribbon cutting will take place at 3 pm.
This older photo shows the architecture of the building without the finishing sign.Photo by Amigo Studios
The final piece of the celebration will be the Ofrenda premiere on October 1. The run then continues through October 11, marking Hispanic Heritage Month. The 90-minute opera by composer Jorge Sosa and librettist John de los Santos will be sung in Spanish and English with projected English titles. It tells the story of immigrant mother Marcia (mezzo-soprano Kelly Guerra) who encounters death and is gifted a tea of life that gives her healing powers. But there is a price to pay for that power.
“Ofrenda is a story about remembrance, devotion and the power to heal,” said Sosa. “It is also a story about the sacrifices we make for the people we love and the ways our traditions connect us to those who came before us.”
Ofrenda performances will happen October 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 11, 2026, at the Sangeeta Teresa Mai and Hai Nguyen Theater at the Sarah and Ernest Butler Performance Center. Tickets only remain for Tuesday, October 6, at austinopera.org.
