Where can I see opera in Austin?
There are many opera and theater companies producing opera in Austin. The largest opera company is Austin Lyric Opera, who produces three fully staged operas with orchestra every season. Check out their website (www.austinlyricopera.org) for more information. The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin performs a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta (light opera, with spoken dialogue) every summer (www.gilbertsullivan.org). Spotlight on Opera has year-round performances of scenes, concerts, and full operas featuring young up-and-coming singers (www.spotlightonopera.org). One Ounce Opera does cabaret-style shows in unconventional venues around Austin (www.oneounceopera.com) – but keep in mind that these shows are usually PG-13 or R-rated. Texas Hill Country Opera & Arts performs various shows and concerts in the Hill Country (www.texashillcountryopera.com).
What operas are good for children?
There are many operas based on fairy tale stories that will be familiar to children. These include Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Cinderella), and Dvorak’s Rusalka (The Little Mermaid). There are also many operas with a children’s chorus, like Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Puccini’s Tosca. Other operas have characters played by children – Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, Britten’s Turn of the Screw – or teenaged characters played by adults – like Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro.
There are also plenty of operas written for a young audience in mind. These operas are usually premiered and performed by opera outreach programs like SMART Opera.
Is opera for everyone, or just older people?
Opera is definitely for everyone! There are plenty of young opera fans, and we invite you to be one of them. You won’t know how awesome it is until you try it!
What does it take to be an opera singer?
Practice, practice, practice! Opera singers are musicians, and they have extensive training and log hours and hours of practice time, just like instrumentalists. Everyone’s path to singing opera is unique, but many opera singers started singing as a child, in a choir in school or at church. Lots of them also studied an instrument like piano or violin. Then as a teenager they may have started taking voice lessons, which is individual study with a teacher. Did you know you can get a college degree in music, and you can specifically study voice? Most opera singers hold multiple voice performance degrees from universities. After earning a graduate degree, most become what is called a “Young Artist” with an opera company, and they perform small roles in the main productions and do recitals and opera outreach (like SMART Opera!). Then they start to be cast in larger and larger roles. They usually travel – sometimes all over the world – to sing. They always keep practicing, they always keep studying, and they always keep auditioning. They take acting classes and movement classes. They make sure they stay in good shape, because singing takes a lot of stamina and breath control and endurance. They eat healthy foods and drink lots of water. They get plenty of sleep! There’s no way one can sing a 3 to 4 hour opera after a late night of eating junk food! They study language, composers, music history, and music theory.
My child is interested in singing opera. What should I do?
Encourage it! Listen to opera, go see live operas, and go see the Met broadcasts in your local movie theater. As far as singing, children's voices aren't ready for the intensity of singing opera. The best thing to do is to have your child learn to play an instrument (like piano, violin, or guitar) first so they learn about music theory and practice. Find a choir or children's chorus for them to join. Private voice lessons aren't recommended until age 13 or 14. Opera singers' voices don't fully mature until their mid-30s, so there's plenty of time to study singing! Give your child's voice a chance to grow and mature before introducing the difficult repertoire found in opera.
There are many opera and theater companies producing opera in Austin. The largest opera company is Austin Lyric Opera, who produces three fully staged operas with orchestra every season. Check out their website (www.austinlyricopera.org) for more information. The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin performs a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta (light opera, with spoken dialogue) every summer (www.gilbertsullivan.org). Spotlight on Opera has year-round performances of scenes, concerts, and full operas featuring young up-and-coming singers (www.spotlightonopera.org). One Ounce Opera does cabaret-style shows in unconventional venues around Austin (www.oneounceopera.com) – but keep in mind that these shows are usually PG-13 or R-rated. Texas Hill Country Opera & Arts performs various shows and concerts in the Hill Country (www.texashillcountryopera.com).
What operas are good for children?
There are many operas based on fairy tale stories that will be familiar to children. These include Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Cinderella), and Dvorak’s Rusalka (The Little Mermaid). There are also many operas with a children’s chorus, like Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Puccini’s Tosca. Other operas have characters played by children – Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, Britten’s Turn of the Screw – or teenaged characters played by adults – like Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro.
There are also plenty of operas written for a young audience in mind. These operas are usually premiered and performed by opera outreach programs like SMART Opera.
Is opera for everyone, or just older people?
Opera is definitely for everyone! There are plenty of young opera fans, and we invite you to be one of them. You won’t know how awesome it is until you try it!
What does it take to be an opera singer?
Practice, practice, practice! Opera singers are musicians, and they have extensive training and log hours and hours of practice time, just like instrumentalists. Everyone’s path to singing opera is unique, but many opera singers started singing as a child, in a choir in school or at church. Lots of them also studied an instrument like piano or violin. Then as a teenager they may have started taking voice lessons, which is individual study with a teacher. Did you know you can get a college degree in music, and you can specifically study voice? Most opera singers hold multiple voice performance degrees from universities. After earning a graduate degree, most become what is called a “Young Artist” with an opera company, and they perform small roles in the main productions and do recitals and opera outreach (like SMART Opera!). Then they start to be cast in larger and larger roles. They usually travel – sometimes all over the world – to sing. They always keep practicing, they always keep studying, and they always keep auditioning. They take acting classes and movement classes. They make sure they stay in good shape, because singing takes a lot of stamina and breath control and endurance. They eat healthy foods and drink lots of water. They get plenty of sleep! There’s no way one can sing a 3 to 4 hour opera after a late night of eating junk food! They study language, composers, music history, and music theory.
My child is interested in singing opera. What should I do?
Encourage it! Listen to opera, go see live operas, and go see the Met broadcasts in your local movie theater. As far as singing, children's voices aren't ready for the intensity of singing opera. The best thing to do is to have your child learn to play an instrument (like piano, violin, or guitar) first so they learn about music theory and practice. Find a choir or children's chorus for them to join. Private voice lessons aren't recommended until age 13 or 14. Opera singers' voices don't fully mature until their mid-30s, so there's plenty of time to study singing! Give your child's voice a chance to grow and mature before introducing the difficult repertoire found in opera.