West Bay Opera was founded in 1955 by Henry Holt who had recently completed his training in piano performance and conducting at Vienna, and after a successful career in Europe where his final performance was as a soloist with Arturo Toscanini conducting the Vienna Philharmonics.
After Henry Holt's passing in 1969, West Bay Opera was led by Henry's wife, Maria Holt, as the general director of the company until the late 1990s.