The Warsaw Chamber Opera was founded in 1961 by Stefan Sutkowski, who has served as its Managing and Artistic Director ever since. The company’s inaugural production, performed on September 4, 1961 was Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona. Since October 1986 the Opera has performed at its own theatre, a listed building dating from 1775 whose audience contributes to the acoustic sound created.

The repertoire of the Warsaw Chamber Opera spans a wide variety of musical styles and genres: from medieval mystery plays to the operas of the Baroque and Classical periods, 18th century pantomimes, the operas by Rossini and Donizetti, as well as works by contemporary composers.

The Warsaw Chamber Opera ensembles also give regular concerts featuring chamber, oratorio, and symphonic music of various epochs. In 1984 the Warsaw Chamber Opera established the Research and Documentation Centre of Early Polish Music. It deals with the research, publication, performance and recording of newly-discovered works by Polish composers.

The music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has long occupied a prominent place in the company’s repertoire. The Warsaw Chamber Opera is the only company in the world to have Mozart’s entire operatic output in its permanent repertoire and this unprecedented achievement has won the Warsaw company-wide international recognition. In addition to this the Warsaw Chamber Opera has also organised the Claudio Monteverdi Festival, The Celebrations to Mark 400 Years of Opera as a Genre, and An Ode to Europe Festival.