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Historic church is transformed into new, permanent home for Indianapolis Opera

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Indianapolis, Indiana – A neighborhood group in Indianapolis is preserving a historic structure.

The 60-year-old local landmark Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church now serves a new role and goes by the name Basile Opera Center. The Indianapolis Opera has moved into its new, permanent location.

More than ten years ago, the Indianapolis Opera started hosting performances in the former church at 4011 N. Pennsylvania St.

“Since then, the Indianapolis Opera moved its headquarters into the former church and renamed it the Basile Opera Center. Organizers raised over $4 million to make repairs for reuse of the old church and preserve its mid-century, modernistic architecture that is worthy of the National Register of Historic Places,” the opera said in a news release.

The Basile Opera Center, which is in the center of Midtown-Meridian Kessler, will now provide multi-use community cultural space. According to the opera, the structure “serves the neighborhood, city, and region from the historic and beloved former campus of the Greek Orthodox Church, which once served as home to Greek Fest and other community-wide celebrations.”

The opera center will offer distinctive programming, a variety of educational and community engagement opportunities, as well as a range of outreach initiatives catered to Indianapolis audiences from all socioeconomic backgrounds. The Basile Opera Center is available for rent by locals for special occasions like weddings and business gatherings.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held by the Indianapolis Opera and the Indianapolis Arts Council on Tuesday at 5 o’clock. The first performance in the newly named Ruth and Skip Vignati Performance Hall will be part of the celebration marking the center’s formal dedication. Longtime Indianapolis benefactors The Vignati’s provided the legacy gift that made it possible for the Indianapolis Opera to relocate to its new location.

Anyone who is interested in contributing to the Indianapolis Opera’s future can do so online or by calling David Starkey at 317-283-3531.

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