Education
Create, Enrich, Discover
Education Mission
We believe opera is for everyone and we are committed to ensuring that the art form is available to the widest possible cross-section of our community. Each year, our education programs serve more than 100,000 students in Metro Atlanta and throughout the state of Georgia. Our programs seek to inspire creativity, stimulate critical conversations, promote an enduring appreciation of the arts, and create audiences for the future.
In-School Performance
The Atlanta Opera Studio Tour
The Pirates of Penzance
Grades K-12 | In-School Performance
Fee: $800* per performance
Running Time: 40 minutes, followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the performers
*Title 1 scholarships and discounts are available. Book two or more performances and receive $100 off each performance.
Designed to travel, this season The Atlanta Opera Studio Tour brings to life Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular operettas, The Pirates of Penzance. Frederic, apprenticed to a band of tender-hearted pirates, leaves his cohorts on his 21st birthday and falls instantly in love with Mabel, the daughter of a modern Major-General. Their fate is tested through an adventure of hilarious hijinks and tongue-twisting patter songs, as romance blossoms, loyalty is put to the test, and mistakes are forgiven.
Studio Tour is accompanied by a study guide full of information and cross-curricular activities.
January – Mid-April
Storytime
Grades Pre-K-1 | In-School Performance
Fee: $250* per performance
Running Time: 30 minutes
*Title 1 scholarships and discounts are available.
Taught by teaching artists, The Atlanta Opera Storytime is perfectly suited for young ones as their first venture into the world of opera. This program will explore the early literacy skills of singing, playing, talking and reading while being introduced to opera. Teachers can choose between three delightful stories: The Bantam of the Opera by Mary Jane Auch, Opera Cat by Tess Weaver, or Diva Dolores and the Opera House Mouse by Laura Sassi.
Year round
workshops,
masterclasses,
& professional learning
Learn all there is about opera. Bring the opera to your school or classroom for a workshop, masterclass, or for professional learning.
Bring The Atlanta Opera into your classroom with our in-person and virtual workshops! Taught by teaching artists and staff, suggested topics include Masterclasses, Conversations with the Masters, Introduction to Opera, Operatic Voice Types, History of Opera, and Careers in the Arts, Lighting Design and Props.
Designed specifically to heighten the art of vocal music, masterclasses bring professional artists to work with students on solo or ensemble repertoire, musicality, diction, and interpretation.
Designed to provide educators with unique avenues to deepen their understanding of music, performance, and storytelling, fostering creative approaches to incorporating arts education into their classrooms and inspiring their students through the transformative power of opera.
Field Trips
Final Dress Rehearsal Ticket Program
GRADES 5-12 | field trip opportunity
The Final Dress Rehearsal program gives educators and students an opportunity to engage with in-person operatic performances. This program is designed for students in grades 5-12 and showcases a full-length opera with sets, costumes, and orchestra.
2024-25 Final Dress Rehearsals:
Verdi’s La traviata – Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 7pm
Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro – Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 7pm
Puccini’s Turandot – Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 7pm
Wagner’s Twilight of the Gods – Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 6pm
advance registration required, limited tickets available.
Virtual Performances
The Magic Flute
sponsored by
Grades K-12 | On-Demand Access
Virtual Tours FREE to all schools
Running Time: 45 minutes, followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the performers
Grades K-12 | On-Demand Access
Virtual Tours FREE to all schools
Running Time: 45 minutes, followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the performers
The Magic Flute, Mozart’s masterpiece comes to life in this new interpretation for the classroom as a 45-minute video. In collaboration with the Center for Puppetry Arts, The Magic Flute demonstrates triumph over adversity through courage, wisdom, and love.
This program is offered free of charge. Registration is required.
The Bilingual Barber of Seville
sponsored by
Grades K-12 | On-Demand Access
Virtual Tours FREE to all schools
Running Time: 45 minutes, followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the performers
This virtual Studio Tour, The Bilingual Barber of Seville, features an updated take on a classic, opera’s most famous barber, Figaro, plays the role of translator as Rossini’s sparkling, witty score takes center stage.
This 45-minute adaptation is performed in Spanish and English and demonstrates the power of love to triumph over adversity of every kind.
This program is offered free of charge. Registration is required.
Hansel and Gretel
sponsored by
Grades K-12 | On-Demand Access
Virtual Tours FREE to all schools
Running Time: 40 minutes, followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the performers
Our Virtual Studio Tour brings to life a new adaptation of Humperdinck’s enchanting take on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. Suitable for all ages, Hansel and Gretel brings audiences on an adventure through a magic world filled with mystical forest animals, a captivating Sandman, and lots of sweets!
This updated English version of Humperdinck’s classic opera, teaches valuable lessons about being polite, making friends, and not judging a Witch by her wardrobe.
The Virtual Studio Tour is accessible to many audiences. Watch when and where you want with easy online access!
This program is offered free of charge. Registration is required.
The Pirates of Penzance
sponsored by
Grades K-12 | On-Demand Access
Virtual Tours FREE to all schools
Running Time: 40 minutes, followed by a 5-minute Q&A with the performers
Our Virtual Studio Tour brings to life Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular operettas, The Pirates of Penzance, as a special 40-minute film for students! Frederic, apprenticed to a band of tender-hearted pirates, leaves his cohorts on his 21st birthday and falls instantly in love with Mabel, the daughter of a modern Major-General. Their fate is tested through an adventure of hilarious hijinks and tongue-twisting patter songs, as romance blossoms, loyalty is put to the test, and mistakes are forgiven.
The Virtual Studio Tour is accessible to many audiences. Watch when and where you want with easy online access!
This program is offered free of charge. Registration is required.
Opera Deep Dives
Step into the enchanting world of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s timeless play.
This program offers a unique opportunity to engage with the opera both before and after the performance, providing insightful resources that deepen your understanding and enrich your experience.
Designed for grades 9-12, this program features:
- The Atlanta Opera’s cinematic film version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- pre-performance guide (including an Opera 101 section)
- post-performance guide with reflection prompts–encouraging active engagement with the music, themes, and characters
This program is offered free of charge. Registration is required.
