OPERA FOR THE YOUNG®

Opera for the Young®, Inc. (OFY) is a leading provider of arts-in-education services in the Midwest, as well as a pre-eminent producer of opera for children in the United States. Each year OFY brings opera to more than 70,000 children. Winner of the 2003 Marvin Rabin Youth Arts Award, OFY focuses on arts education (educating children about the value and beauty of the arts) and also arts-in-education (using the arts as a springboard to teach other core curriculum subjects).

Opera for the Young® brings live, professional opera to elementary school audiences with annual Fall and Spring tours. Students appear onstage in chorus and cameo roles, performing for their peers right alongside OFY's professional artists. All productions are fully staged, sung in English and adapted especially for kids. OFY also holds an annual set and costume design contest wherein students submit drawings for pre-selected elements of the upcoming production's sets and costumes.

Opera for the Young® keeps school performances affordable through its own fundraising efforts. We are able to offer our programming at 40% of the actual cost through the generous support of individuals, corporations, foundations and government funding.

OUR MISSION

Founded in 1970, Opera for the Young's mission is to ignite enthusiasm for opera.

In pursuit of that mission, we COLLABORATE, EDUCATE and CREATE. The multifaceted world of opera provides a dynamic vehicle for growth within each child and their school community. OFY involves students in all aspects of the show - from design to production to performance. In this engaging manner, Opera for the Young is unlike any program in the nation.

• COLLABORATE - OFY works with more than 170 schools, 300 teachers and principals, 2,720 on-stage chorus members, thousands more off-stage chorus members and student art contest designers
• EDUCATE - Students are prepared by their teachers using curriculum-ready materials that not only meet many of the state's music standards but also engage students in multi-media and cross-curricular ways.

• CREATE - Our performances are the creation of thousands of hours of work – thousands of
  students, teachers, in collaboration with highly credentialed professional artists. Each of the communities we visit is a part of the creative/artistic process.
  
  

RECENT NEWS...

12/15/2009 - Opera for the Young awarded National Endowment for the Arts grant

10/01/2009 - Opera for the Young announces casting for 2010 Rusalka, A Mermaid's Tale tour

09/18/2009 - American Girl's Fund for Children awards Opera for the Young $10,000

04/03/2009 - New Richmond News - Music program helps students learn to love opera

02/26/2009 - Opera for the Young again wins grant from the Packers Foundation

02/12/2009 - Beloit Daily News - "Opera group introduces kids to new genre"

02/03/2009 - MuskogeePhoenix.com - “Opera for the Young” set at Sadler

01/30/2009 - Ada Evening News - Hansel and Gretel coming to Ada

01/26/2009 - Tulsa World - Tulsa Opera doubles up with 'Hansel, Gretel'

01/21/2009 - Bixby Bulletin - Tulsa Opera to perform at Brassfield March 27

01/05/2009 - International Opera Star Sherrill Milnes lends support to Opera for the Young

04/17/2008 - Bureau County Republican - Taking their bows

04/16/2008 - Holmes Elementary BLOG - Field Trip and Magical Flute

03/26/2008 - Enid News (Oklahoma) - Tulsa Opera makes opera accessible using Opera for the Young adaptations

Opera for the Young on YouTube - see what students from Emmeline Cook Elementary had to say!

Opera for the Young highlighted as one of the NEA's featured programs in their annual report.

SUPPORT OPERA IN THE SCHOOLS!

Last Updated: January 14, 2010