Seattle Opera’s 2022-23 season has ended, but don’t let that stop you or your kids from enjoying this 400-year-old musical art this summer. Between June and August, opera will offer free public performances and youth opera camps priced on a sliding scale (financial assistance provided to families in need).
“Summer is the perfect time to explore the many ways opera can expand beyond the opera house,” General Director Christina Scheppelmann said in a recent release. “Opera isn’t only serious drama—it has always had a lighthearted side, too. Our summer programs highlight this underappreciated dimension and offer a variety of delights for all ages.”
Added Dennis Robinson, Jr., director of Programs and Partnerships: “We want to build on the success we had last season by bringing performances out of the opera house and into the community, where it can be experienced by an even broader audience.”
Here’s what’s going on this summer with Seattle Opera:
Summer performances:
The Opera’s Jane Lange Creation Lab will do two free performances in June, each featuring six new 20-minute works touching on family, love, and self-discovery themes and created by composer and librettist teams. The lab is working to cultivate the next generation of opera composers and librettists in Washington State. Performances will take the state June 23 and 24 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Tagney Jones Hall at The Opera House in Seattle Center.
“Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World,” which the Seattle Opera presented as part of its school touring program, will be performed for the public summer in the opera house and local parks. The 35-minute opera for youth audiences tells the story of Mariana, a young girl living in Mexico City who has her portrait painted by Frida Kahlo. Although initially nervous, Mariana soon befriends Frida and learns two important lessons: how to be brave when you feel scared and that art can happen anywhere. Tickets for the free performance at Tagney Jones Hall are gone already, but Seattle Opera will perform the show free in Powell Barnett Park at 10 a.m. on July 22 and August 13 and at Highland Park at 10 a.m. on July 23 and August 12.
Photo courtesy Seattle Opera / Instagram
Youth Opera Camps
In July, budding opera performers will sing, act, and perform while learning all about the art of opera in Seattle Opera’s youth summer camps.
In the Maestros program, students ages 10–13 will create original opera stories, learn songs from actual operas, and perform their opera for friends and family. And in the Teen Performance Workshop, students ages 14–18 will receive individual voice lessons and learn scenes from across the classical repertoire. Camp fees are on a sliding scale up to $365. Contact the program to request financial assistance.
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