Nevada Opera Founder, Ted Puffer
Nevada Opera was founded by Ted and Deena Puffer in 1968. The Puffers had a history of creating operas
wherever they called home, and since the University of Nevada, Reno hired Ted as their department chair
and head of the voice and opera programs, Reno was the next obvious place for an opera company. As was
customary, singers followed the Puffers to their new home, which was now Reno. With Ted’s nationally acclaimed
voice teaching, the local community of singers continued to grow as Nevada Opera and the company became
established as a nationally acclaimed regional opera company.
Some NVO Highlights include the American premiere’s of Tchaikovsky’s Joan of Arc and Busoni’s Doktor Faust as
well as the world premiere of Bern Herbolsheimer, Mark Me Twain
commissioned to celebrate NVO’s 25th season (1992-1993).
The Puffers translations (puffertranslations.com) have been performed nationwide and commissioned by such
companies as Columbia Records and Santa Fe Opera. Ted Puffer’s voice teaching has produced numerous singers
including the world’s leading Verdi Mezzo, Dolora Zajick. On May 12, 1999, they were honored by the Nevada
State Legislature, which passed resolution No. 66 stating that
“Ted and Deena Puffer are hereby congratulated and honored for their many years of dedication during which they
shared their vast knowledge and tremendous talents to make the Nevada Opera the first-class company that it is today…”