About the Artist/Ensemble

Virginia Opera Association, Inc., in its 49th year of operation, is known and respected nationwide for the identification and presentation of the finest young artists, for the musical and dramatic integrity of its productions, and for the ingenuity and variety of its education and outreach programs. The Company has a working budget of $5.3 million with over 28 mainstage performances, reaching nearly 50,000 attendees. In March of 1994, by unanimous vote of the Virginia General Assembly, Virginia Opera was named The Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia in recognition of the organization’s contribution to the Commonwealth and to the world of opera.

Learn more, here.

Educational Programs

We offer (by reservation only) Opera In The Classroom for schools, children’s organizations, and other educational institutions. All educational works feature professional singers employed in the Emerging Artist Program, and are accompanied by piano. Opera In The Classroom also includes additional learning materials for students to expand their knowledge of opera, and can be used for either pre or post-production follow-up.

Opera in the Classroom presents “A LOVING COMMUNITY, an educational touring program commissioned by Virginia Opera. The production will feature music and history relevant to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. This roughly 60-minute program will also include excerpts from the new opera Loving v. Virginia, premiering in April 2025. The Opera’s four Emerging Artists will perform the program with piano accompaniment. The program will also feature members of the Richmond Symphony at certain public-facing performances in the region. “A Loving Community” will have minimal props and costumes and travel throughout the Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Fairfax County regions to schools, libraries, and community venues. A study guide and resource lists will also be available digitally. The targeted audience is junior high to adults ages 15 and up. Accompanying the production will be a set of traveling display panels, created and curated by the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, to further enhance the understanding of the historical context that led to this significant decision and its impact on the more prominent 20th and 21st century American civil right landscape. Program available for bookings during the period February 3 – March 21, 2025

Tunes and Tales: To promote children’s literacy, this engaging program will read children’s fairytales and other works to the audience, combined with opera selections woven into the stories. The program is an hour-long interactive program performed by two singing artists, typically with pre-recorded musical tracks. There is no set, only minimal hand props and no costuming. The targeted grades are K-3, ages 4-8. This program is open to elementary-age students, their parents and teachers, and anyone young! Contact Virginia Opera at Education@vaopera.org for performance pricing and performance scheduling.

Student Night @ The Opera
Experience the final dress rehearsals of all of our 2023-24 Season operas with your student groups! Discount tickets available for students and chaperones attending. Please contact the Virginia Opera Civic Engagement Office for details.  Virginia Opera provides a study guide for each opera.

Audience

• All Ages