It’s not over until the fat lady sings! The beloved Brooklyn opera group Regina Opera Company launches its 50th season of arias this month. In the half century since its founding, the company has grown from a shoestring project into a full-fledged opera house that draws hundreds of spectators for each performance. Here are some notable moments from the company’s rich history.

1970: The start

Dyker Heights neighbors Marie Cantoni and Nick Tierno founded the Regina Opera company so that Tierno’s brother, a tenor opera singer, could have a place to perform. The group got its start in — and its name from — the Regina Pacis Youth Center, where up-and-coming singers sang excerpts from famous operas.