EDUCATION

For more than four decades, youth, teachers, and families have been able to participate in quality arts education programs with Pittsburgh Festival Opera in Western Pennsylvania through the passion and dedication of our founder, Mrs. Mildred Miller Posvar.

Hailed as a model for early childhood arts education by Opera America and PNC Foundation, Pittsburgh Festival Opera continues the mission of equality, diversity, and inclusivity with free programming and content to support individuals in their academic success through music and art.

All programs will be routinely updated to ensure the safety of all individuals who participate in our programming.

Students in theater seats

Our Programs

Teaching Artist in classroom interacting with students

Students grades Pre-K – 1

Opera Tots!

Let’s start at the very beginning! A very good place to start is with our Opera Tots! program where our highly qualified Teaching Artists coordinate a 4 week in-classroom residency with students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade. During this residency, Teaching Artists will visit once a week to share the art of storytelling through dance, rhythm, characters, costume, and music. The residency concludes with participants creating and performing their own original Mini Opera based on our upcoming Opera in the Neighborhood Production so everyone involved is able to experience (perhaps for the first time) the magical art of opera.

For registration details for this FREE education program, please CLICK HERE to start your journey into the world of Opera Tots!

Program support

Major support for Opera Tots! is made possible by:

PNC Foundation
The Henry C. Frick Educational Fund of the Buhl Foundation
PNC Charitable Trusts
The Grable Foundation

Performers on stage

Students grades K – 5

Opera in the Neighborhood

In a world of pure imagination, students from Kindergarten through 5th grade will be able to experience a live opera with a cast, costumes, set, and one dynamite pianist. Each year Pittsburgh Festival Opera selects an age appropriate opera featuring local young artists that come together to create an opera production that is not only enjoyable for students, but also for the educators and parents who want to tag along.

Before coming to participate in the opera, each school will be visited by a Teaching Artist for a presentation of “What Is Opera?” Through this presentation, students will learn about musical styles, voice types in opera, characters of the show, audience etiquette, types of storytelling, and even try out their own operatic voices.

For registration details for this FREE education program, please CLICK HERE to start your journey into the world of Opera in the Neighborhood!

Program support 

Major support for Opera in the Schools is made possible by:

PNC Foundation
The Henry C. Frick Educational Fund of the Buhl Foundation
PNC Charitable Trusts
The Grable Foundation

Teachers on stage

Students ages 12 – 18

Opera Your Way!

Impossible, things are happening every day, and with Opera YOUR WAY we invite students ages 12 – 15 to an intensive 5-week program that exposes them to contemporary opera and opens doors for them to imagine, build, write, and present a short production that tells their own stories. This program shares with students all aspects of creating a production, from singing and acting to set and costume design and beyond. We will present culturally relevant and contemporary examples that encourage the use of technology and mixed media to produce a short opera that reflects students’ heritage, values, interests, and futures.

For registration details, please CLICK HERE to start your journey into the world of Opera YOUR WAY!

Happy children participate in BuzzWord

Children ages 0 – 5

Buzzword Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Festival Opera is honored to a part of Pittsburgh at large by collaborating with other educational initiatives throughout the community. Targeting children ages 0 – 5, Buzzword provides monthly activities using math, science, and art to expand a child’s vocabulary and conversation skills.
Be Present! Be Playful! Be Proactive!

For event details, please CLICK HERE to start your journey into the world of Buzzword!

Buzzword Collaborators:

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
Carnegie Science Center
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Program content sneak peak: Rusalka

Opera Tots Workshop 1
Presented by Delana Flowers

Opera Tots Workshop 2
Presented by Bridget Johnston

Opera Tots Workshop 3
Presented by Emily Gallagher

Rusalka Mini Opera

For more information, or access to full program content, please contact Seamus Ricci, Director of Education at seamus@pittsburghfestivalopera.org

Meet our Teaching Artists

Kevin Adamik
Kevin Adamik
Candace Burgess
Candace Burgess
Adrianna Cleveland
Adrianna Cleveland
Caryn Alexis Crozier
Caryn Alexis Crozier
Delana Flowers
Delana Flowers
Emily Gallagher
Emily Gallagher
Bridget Ann Johnston
Bridget Johnston
Hayden Keefer
Hayden Keefer
Lyn Starr
Lyn Starr
Jenifer Weber
Jenifer Weber

Children’s Critique Corner

Our past productions

Rusalka: A Mermaid's Tale

2000

Student & Parent Portal

Educator Portal

Teaching Artist Portal

Young Artist Portal

To request portal access, additional questions or support please contact:

Seamus Ricci
Director of Education
seamus@pittsburghfestivalopera.org