ðə kˈʌmpəni wʌz ɪstˈæblɪʃt ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi baɪ ðə mˈɪnɪstɚ dˈɛs ɐfˈɛɹz kˌʌltʃɚɹˈɛlz dˈuː kwᵻbˈɛk, fˈaɪv jˈɪɹz ˈæftɚ ðə klˈoʊʒɚɹ ʌvðɪ ɑːpˈeɪɹə dˈuː kwᵻbˈɛk.
The company was established in 1980 by the Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec, five years after the closure of the Opéra du Québec.