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 and engages them in exploring issues of tolerance, racism, ethics, social responsibility, and personal strength. Students emerge as well-rounded members in the community and gain an appreciation for the arts. Opera Encounter currently includes three programs: Opera@School, Opera Access, and Open Student Dress Rehearsal. Since Opera Encounter’s inception in 2007, over 50,000 students have participated from local districts in Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Orange County.
Opera@School
Opera@School programs are recognized by the LA County Commission for the Arts for meeting the CA Education Standards in subjects including visual and performing arts, language arts, history, and social science. Our popular and extremely well-received production of The Playground King and our bilingual production of Monkey See, Monkey Do tours elementary schools using familiar excerpts from opera and operetta to teach children about different cultures, problem-solving, cooperation, and confronting bullying behavior.
LBO Opera Access
LBO Opera Access, LBO’s exclusive college and university student discounts, develops the future leaders and supporters of adventuresome opera in Southern California. LBO invites college and university students to join Opera Access for discounted and/or free tickets to performances.
LBO Open Student Dress Rehearsal
LBO Open Student Dress Rehearsal invites high school students to attend the final dress rehearsal of an LBO production. Students and faculty are eligible for free admission to an exclusive sneak preview performance before opening night.
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: engagement@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.
