EDUCATION
Learn all about our education initiatives as we bring art to schools and our communities. LBO is passionate about sharing the joy and wonder of opera. Explore our commitment to this work and learn how you can support!
EXPLORE OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS:
OPERA ENCOUNTER
Opera Encounter sparks students' interest in the world of opera while encouraging exploration of important topics such as tolerance, ethics, social responsibility, and personal strength. Through this experience, students become well-rounded community members with a deeper appreciation for the arts. Since its launch in 2007, more than 50,000 students from Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Orange County have participated.
Opera@School
The cornerstone of Opera Encounter is its Opera@School program. Opera@School programs are recognized by the LA County Commission for the Arts for aligning with California's educational standards in visual and performing arts, language arts, history, and social science. One of our most popular and well-received productions, The Playground King, tours elementary schools, using familiar opera and operetta excerpts to teach children about problem-solving, teamwork, and confronting bullying.
$10 Student tickets
As part of our commitment to cultivating the next generation of opera enthusiasts, LBO proudly offers student discounts at all levels. These tickets are available 2 weeks before each performance.
Acquaprofonda
Looking ahead, LBO Education will launch an exciting new program under the Opera Encounter umbrella in the summer of 2025 at the Aquarium of the Pacific, designed to be accessible to the public. The program will showcase Acquaprofonda, a 30-minute educational opera aimed at young audiences. This production will address the crucial issue of water pollution, while empowering students to take action and build a sense of responsibility for the world around them.
what people are saying
“Several teachers mentioned how much they enjoyed opera and that it was good to be reminded of this fact. Students enjoyed the performance as a whole and several of my students mentioned that they want to go into the arts as adults. We discussed the problem-solving methods used by the actors in The Playground King and how Elliott students could apply similar methods to solve playground and other types of problems. Several girls and one boy are dancers and singers and this just encouraged them to go on with their dreams.”
— Bernadette M.T. (William F. Elliott Elementary School)
“Awesome! Opera is something that students and teachers rarely encounter, so it was wonderful to be able to bring this medium to them. I also thought the connection to bullying was a great way to ground opera in something that students already know about.”
— Eveline H. (Willow Elementary School)
“Using the school’s playground as a stage was really engaging for the students, since it is a very familiar and relatable setting for them. It was also very exciting for students to see a live opera performance, complete with live music and sound effects... Teachers liked that they could go back to their classrooms and discuss many different aspects of the performance such as bullying issues or about opera itself. As for the students, after the performance, many students were interested and excited about opera. Some of them were even singing as they returned to class!”
— Judy K. (Gonsalves Elementary)
Contact
To get in touch about our education programs—including booking, logistics, and availability—please contact our education department:
Email: education@longbeachopera.org
Phone: (562) 470-7464 (Option 4)
Support
Bringing opera and art-making into schools is a critical part of enriching a child’s education and well-being. It also requires support from generous supporters like you. Please consider a gift to LBO today to help support our education initiatives.
Special thanks to The Los Angeles County Department for Arts and Culture, The City of Long Beach, The RuMBa Foundation, and The Port of Long Beach.
