The Opera Atelier

The Opera Atelier reaches hundreds of people through public performances in Miami Dade traditional and nontraditional venues.

TOA places a special emphasis on education and outreach. Outreach activities include those for children and youth, as well as senior citizens and social service and mental health organizations. Some of the educational activities include formal programs, such as the MOZ-Art Summer Program and the Opera Adventures Music program.

The MOZ-ART Program: An intensive summer program for beginning and intermediate singers 9 to 17 learn opera, musical and zarzuela, while developing musicianship skills. The emphasis is on vocal performance and techniques, and extends to functional piano, conducting and interpretation. Students prepare solo and ensemble repertory, learning the techniques to prepare roles and engage in rehearsals for performances. Students visit local venues and learn about the different jobs within the theater. Students participate in culminating activities. Youngsters with disabilities receive accommodations within a general setting.

Opera Adventures: A comprehensive instructional inquiry-based 6-month program in music for 24 students ages 7 to 12. No audition needed. Students learn music inside out, studying sound by observation and through technology. They create and perform music Areas covered include: musicianship, notation and theory, musical study techniques, with connections to technology, Math, and Science (sound waves, frequency, mathematical relationships of tuning and intervals) Students receive instruction in functional piano in addition to a principal instrument or singing, perform solos and ensembles, and participate in a final performance. The program is planned to take place at BridgePrep Academy, a public charter school with a predominantly low-income population.

Outreach activities include enrichment programs and performances at local schools, senior residences, and community centers.

Upcoming season 24-25

The 24-25 performance season of The Opera Atelier will center around the belcanto style and its major contributors, especially the García family of musicians and their respective circles.  The major productions will be “Un avvertiemnto ai gelosi” (A Warning to Those Are Jealous) by García; the world premier of the opera Voyage to Cuba, and Donizetti’s masterpiece Don Pasquale, starring The Opera Atelier’s Jorge Arcila as Don Pasquale, and Carlos Jimeno as Dr. Malatesta. The productions will be complemented by recitals, lecture-recitals, and salon reenactments.