Education and Community Engagement
Opera for All: Building a Community of Opera Lovers through Collaboration,
Communication, and Creative Thinking
FGO’s Education Department aims to be an integral part
of arts education in South Florida through a commitment
to educating young people about the opera art form and
creating programs that are curriculum-based and intent on
collaboration with schools and communities. The company’s
education and community initiatives for both young people
and adults encompass the culturally diverse population of
South Florida, and every year FGO introduces these audiences
to the operatic art form through interactive, informative, and
entertaining activities.
In the Classroom
FGO’s school programs create innovative opportunities for
students and teachers to make music in their classrooms. In
addition to music education resources being made available
to teachers for free, children are able to experience the opera
art form as both audience members and from a design
Informances provide students in grades 9–12 with high
quality musical performances at their school, creating
meaningful interactive experiences for students and cultivating
their knowledge of the arts, opera, and FGO.
Student Dress Rehearsals provide a unique opportunity to
over 5,000 South Florida students, inviting them to experience
the beauty and grandeur of live opera during each of the
for the Performing Arts. During intermissions, students have an
opportunity to see backstage scenery shifts as they happen,
and can interact with FGO’s artistic and production teams
during a “Behind the Curtain” question-and-answer session.
Each participating school is also entitled to a free Pre-Opera
Visit to help prepare students for what they’ll see and hear
on stage, as well as how to be a model audience member,
ensuring that their Dress Rehearsal experience is as positive
and welcoming as possible.
In the Community
Through its community programs, FGO provides free public
recitals and musical workshops throughout South Florida,
making opera accessible to the entire region. Together, these
programs bring transformative musical experiences to people
of all ages and backgrounds.
Traveling Operas are condensed, English-language
transcriptions of a full-length, well-known opera. Performed
with costumes, props, and portable scenery, traveling operas
are designed to adapt to any space in any performance venue
or classroom, and are a perfect introduction to opera for
newcomers to the art form. This season, FGO’s traveling opera
will feature a reworking of Puccini’s classic La bohème.
bring the grand world of opera directly into
the hands of the South Florida community. These free public
programs allow children and adults alike to explore all the
numerous hands-on activity stations. Design, costume, and
musical elements are all represented throughout the day,
which also includes engaging performances and interactions
with FGO musicians and educators.
are a series of thoughtprovoking
discussions that connect the opera art form with
religion, politics, and the humanities. Using the mainstage
season as a catalyst, these hour-long events, in partnership
with other regional cultural organizations, serve adult audiences
and stimulate conversations about life and art that speak to the
communities of South Florida.
You can partner with FGO to help ensure the future of arts
education and encourage a community of opera lovers with your
generous contribution to FGO’s education department. For more
information on FGO’s education programs or to make your gift,
please contact Justin Moss, Director of Broward Operations and
Outreach, at jmoss@fgo.org.
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