07/15/2026
It is with profound sadness that Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre shares the news that our Artistic Director and bass-baritone, Jamie J. Offenbach, passed away on Friday, July 10, after a private battle with cancer.
As HOT Board President shared: “We have lost a brilliant colleague, a generous mentor, a creative showman, and a dear friend. Jamie carried within him a rare constellation of gifts—talent, energy, vision, humor, and warmth. His creative spirit was inexhaustible. Wherever he placed his hand, something shone.”
Born in Honolulu and a graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Jamie always considered Hawaiʻi home. He made his HOT debut in 2002 as Zuniga in Carmen and returned in many memorable productions, with his final performances as Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro (2020) and Colas in Bastien & Bastienne (2021).
After attending The Juilliard School, Jamie joined LA Opera’s Resident Artist Program, launching a distinguished career that included performances with opera companies across the country, including Santa Fe Opera, LA Opera, and Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre.
As Artistic Director, Jamie helped guide HOT through the pandemic by leading the creation of its digital season alongside his longtime partner, Stuart Zwagil. He later directed Pagliacci and created STUDIO101, an innovative cabaret-style series that blended opera, classical music, jazz, Hawaiian songs, and more—welcoming countless new audience members to the company.
General Director & CEO Andrew Morgan said, “Jamie’s legacy with Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre will be remembered for generations to come. In everything he did, from his memorable performances to his work as Artistic Director, Jamie strove for the highest level of artistic excellence—and achieved it time and again.”
We will announce plans to celebrate Jamie’s life and legacy at a later date.
If you have photos or memories of Jamie you’d like to share, please send them to [email protected].
