Education
Community Engagement
Opera is transformative, offering fresh perspectives by exploring the present through a historical lens. It opens minds and illuminates our shared humanity. Join Opera Lafayette and our partners for participatory community events—musical demonstrations, salons, discussions, and exhibitions—where period opera connects with today’s world.
Current season collaborators include the award-winning OperaCréole, the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA), Opera America, the Folger Shakespeare Library, Harvard University, Opera Ebony, long-time partner Kalanidhi Dance, Ensemble Amedyez, and the University of Maryland Department of Music and the Clarice Presents.
Salon Series
Opera Lafayette’s online salons offer enriching stories, history, and insights into each production of the season. Experts in their fields share different perspectives and illuminate the context of upcoming performances. Past discussions have covered diverse topics, such as land loss in the American West, women shaping popular culture from the 18th century to today, the excavation of a 200-year-old manuscript, and demonstrations of the historic (and wonderfully mysterious) instruments used by the Opera Lafayette orchestra.
Panel Discussions and Exhibitions
Panel discussions foster a rich dialogue on the intersection of history and opera. These in-person conversations and materials create a valuable framework, exploring the social, cultural, and musical influences of the time while bridging historical and modern perspectives. Engaging with directly with experts, audiences gain insight into the nuances of period music, staging, and themes, enhancing their overall experience and deepening their appreciation of the art.
Opera Lafayette collaborators have included the Library of Congress, the Folger Shakespeare Library, Opera America, Villa Albertine – the French Institute for Culture and Education, the French Institute: Alliance Francaise, and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France.
Young Artists
Opera Lafayette Young Artists Program, created in 2007 to support our commitment to the advancement of young musicians, presents opportunities for emerging professional singers interested in early opera. Over the course of a season, selected performers from Washington, DC or New York City work with our Artistic Director and other leading artists in the early opera field. Young artists can perform small and large roles in the company’s season productions and represent Opera Lafayette in the community. Interested?