SATURDAY MORNINGS AT THE OPERA
Tickets go on sale Wednesday, November 3, 2010!

LA Opera thinks you're never too young to enjoy the classics. With that in mind, we are proud to present two Saturday morning, hour-long, interactive performances. Delight in familiar arias and wander through enchanting tales of adventure in both original works and beloved favorites adapted for children.

Children's Workshops before each performance add to the excitement and prepare the audience with art and music-making activities.

• DECEMBER 4, 2010 - THE PROSPECTOR
  The Prospector is a rousing tale of California Gold Rush pioneers based on Puccini's opera The Girl of the Golden West. Adapted by Lee Holdridge and Richard Sparks, The Prospector is set in a mining camp during the 1850s where a prospector charms a group of coyotes with a story of cowboys and miners competing for the love of a strong and beautiful woman.
  
  
• FEBRUARY 6, 2011 - WHO WANTS TO BE AN OPERA SINGER?
  Who Wants to be an Opera Singer? is a fun and interactive introduction to the world of opera, written by Mark Saltzman. With a spin of the giant opera wheel, our singers compete for the coveted Golden Throat Award and a brilliant career in opera by singing some of opera's "greatest hits" and telling us a little about the operas from which they spring.
  
  Art workshops begin at 10:00am. Performances begin at 11:00am and run approximately one hour. Performances will be held in the Grand Hall of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center of Los Angeles County.
  
  Tickets on Sale: Wednesday, November 3, 2010
  Tickets are $15 each (Maximum of 10 tickets per person, per performance). Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket.
  
  To get more information please contact our Audience Services Department at (213) 972-8001.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

OPERA U
LA Opera invites full-time college students to join Opera U online and receive reserved student rush ticket offers by email. Faculty can also sign-up for the opportunity to bring groups of 15 or more students to selected performances at the rush ticket price. Enroll today and you're on your way to experiencing some of the world's most exciting productions! Students: CLICK HERE for more information and to sign up for announcements. Student offers vary. Faculty: CLICK HERE for information about bringing a group of students

REHEARSAL VIEWINGS
LA Opera invites college and university faculty to apply to bring groups of students to rehearsals on the main stage at LA Opera! This is a great opportunity for students who are studying opera to get an inside look at how opera productions are put together. Rehearsal viewings can be further enhanced with a visit from LA Opera's Speakers Bureau. There are also possibilities of meeting with LA Opera staff members during the visit.

• Dates: Schedules vary. Contact us for more information.
  
  
• Fee: Free of charge.
  
  
• Deadline: Bookings are ongoing, based on availability. Please click here to contact us for more information and availability.

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS
In conjunction with these student opportunities, LA Opera can bring special events to campuses, including opera recitals and master classes with LA Opera artists. These programs can be further enriched by a variety of support materials and visits from our free Speakers Bureau. A school must be willing to partner with LA Opera to facilitate on-campus activities. College partnership fees and program specifics will be determined individually.

VOLUNTEER
LA Opera's Education and Community Programs Department is always looking for fun and energetic college students to help out at our events. To be added to our volunteer list, please complete and submit the application.

• Application: Click here to download PDF.

VOLUNTEER OPERA SPEAKERS BUREAU

Let the LA Opera Speakers Bureau introduce your group to our extraordinary world.

The Speakers Bureau is a program of LA Opera, together with the Opera League of Los Angeles. LA Opera's team of trained experts addresses civic and social organizations, philanthropic groups, schools and library audiences throughout Southern California, free of charge. You may select a presentation on any opera performed during our season at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, or we can customize a talk to suit your needs. Either way, you won't be disappointed!

• Dates and Requirements: Speakers will address groups of 15 or more people. To become a Speakers Bureau member, you must complete an intensive 8-week training program. Contact us for more information.
  
  
• Fee: Free of charge.
  
  
• Deadline: Requests for speakers are accepted throughout the year.

LIBRARY PROJECT

OPERA TALKS SERIES
LA Opera's Opera Talks Series is one of our fastest-growing and most successful programs, boasting more than 90 presentations in libraries all over the County during its ninth season. Our staff works with each individual library to develop programs with elements from each corner of the opera world. Our insightful talks address history, literature, philosophy and fine arts within the context of opera. We also provide libraries with "Behind the Scenes" presentations and recitals featuring LA Opera singers.

Click Here to View This Month's Library Talks

OPERA TALES TOUR
Opera always begins with a story. Opera Tales celebrates the power of story and the joy of music. Working in partnership with the County of Los Angeles Public Library, the LA Opera has developed this fun, high energy show that tours to various County Libraries for free family performances in April 2011. The show features five professional opera performers as the "opera pals" who perform some of the musical moments from opera stories. Opera Tales is a perfect and easy way to introduce young audiences to the exhilaration of story and music wedded together.

Original funding for this program provided by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, 4th District.

Libraries must provide an appropriate presentation space and a program coordinator.
Free of charge.

FREE COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES

The LA Opera experience is not confined to the beautiful Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

COMMUNITY CONCERTS
With the combined efforts of community venues and LA Opera, the public has free access to opera throughout Los Angeles County, with concerts tailored to each individual community. Concerts take place at a variety of spaces including libraries, community groups, senior centers and outdoor summer concerts in public parks. Community Partners must have a presentation space and equipment appropriate for the LA Opera concert performance. Host site fees vary according to partnerships.

COMMUNITY OPERA
For the past four seasons, LA Opera has been honored to work with the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown Los Angeles to present free, large-scale, community performances including Noye's Fludde, Judas Maccabaeus, and The Festival Play of Daniel under the baton of Maestro James Conlon. These community opera performances include singers, actors and orchestra members from the community, performing alongside professional singers and orchestra members from LA Opera.

If you would like to be notified of up-coming Free Community Performances, please click here to be added to the email announcement list.

COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT

LA OPERA PRE-PERFORMANCE TALKS
Get the full story at our complimentary pre-opera talks.
Join other opera-goers in the Grand Hall of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to listen to Southern California's most engaging and highly regarded scholars present entertaining, informative talks on the opera you are about to see. Generously sponsored by The Flora L. Thornton Foundation and The Opera League of Los Angeles, the talks are free of charge to those attending the performance. Talks are scheduled one hour prior to each performance. Reservations are not required.

ADULT CONTINUING EDUCATION
LA Opera can visit your adult education class.
We can provide speakers and scholars, behind-the-scenes visits from LA Opera staff members and even recital programs. We are currently partnering with several organizations, including The Getty Center and The Huntington Library, to present adult education classes.

Classes may run during any time of the year. Fees vary according to partnerships.

SENIOR CENTER DRESS REHEARSAL
The heart of our senior programming remains the annual, free senior center dress rehearsal. This season, we present Verdi's beloved masterwork Rigoletto, conducted by James Conlon. Rigoletto tells the riveting story of a father's rage, a daughter's shame and a curse that stalks them relentlessly, climaxing in a shocking conclusion. Several of opera's best known arias, including Gilda's dreamy "Caro nome" and the Duke's instantly recognizable "La donna è mobile," illuminate this timeless tragedy.

• Dates and Requirements: The dress rehearsal of Rigoletto is scheduled for Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at 1:00pm. This event is open only to senior centers located in LA County which receive government funding. Seats are limited, and centers are selected to attend through a competitive application process. Representatives from selected centers must attend a mandatory meeting on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 10:30am.
  (Centers that attended The Barber of Seville in 2009/10 are not eligible.)
  
  
• Please note: Individuals may not apply.
  
  
• Fee: Free of charge.
  
  
• Deadline: Tuesday, August 24, 2010
  
  
• Application: Contact us for application information. A limited number of publicly-funded senior centers can participate in this program.