About
OPERA EDUCATION: opera grows with you!
Opera Education is the Italian platform that has been promoting the passion for opera in young audiences since 1996 (scroll to the bottom of the page to discover the complete history of Opera Education).
The project, born from the educational and artistic intuition of Barbara Minghetti, is conceived and produced by AsLiCo – Associazione Lirica e Concertistica Italiana, a cultural institution recognized nationally and internationally for the high quality of its opera production and for its vocation in supporting young talents, singers, directors and composers. With the project Opera Education, AsLiCo cultivates the natural enthusiasm of young people for symphonic music and opera, producing, with emerging professionals, performances adapted for different age groups, from 0 to 18 years old.
PARTICIPATORY OPERA PERFORMANCES
Opera Education productions are participatory: they involve the audience of young spectators through singing and movements. Children and youngsters arrive at the theatre prepared to take part in the show and become the real protagonists, singing some arias and participating with small props.
TRAINING COURSE FOR TEACHERS
The show marks the completion of a journey that begins months earlier for teachers who are prepared through training meetings recognized by MIUR (the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research) pursuant to Directive 170/2016.
Music, theatre, play, literature, history, current events and interdisciplinary content from year to year accompany educators, teachers, children, teens and families on a journey through one of humanity’s intangible cultural heritages. The ultimate goal is to ignite children’s and teens’ interest and curiosity about opera theatre, which represents the most complex and multifaceted art form in Italy’s cultural heritage.
“The result – explains Barbara Minghetti, founder of the platform – is a contagious enthusiasm that leads us to continue with great passion, looking for innovative tools and educational channels, inventing new ways to propose musical education. Opera Education’s mission is also a social one, because it brings together the energy of children and their natural ability to marvel at the beauty of an art full of meaning. Our goal is to create the audience of tomorrow, but also to contribute to the formation of better citizens.”
IN ITALY AND AROUND THE WORLD
Opera Education‘s productions visit 29 cities in 9 Italian regions (Campania, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Lombardy, Marche, Tuscany, Trentino, Veneto) and are part of the European and international scene, thanks to co-productions and productions abroad, in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, and finally landing in Oman.
Opera Education is a member of the European and international networks Reseo, Opera Europa and Fedora; it has participated in international calls for cooperation for the funding of artistic productions (Culture Project, then Creative Europe) and has won several international awards.
Our story
Opera Education was founded in 1996, focusing initially on primary and middle school students with the project Opera domani. Over time, it has expanded the scholastic proposal that would bring a theatrical and musical experience to children: here is the creation of Opera Kids (3-6 years) in 2009. Shortly after, in 2011, decides to address the teen audience, proposing the musical event Orchestra in gioco (11-19 years) and the path of Opera it (14-19 years).
2015 is an important year: in addition to the writing of an unpublished opera on the occasion of the Expo in Milan, the project Opera baby (0-3 years) is born; in 2017 the project Opera meno9 is launched to include even unborn children. 2019 sees a renovation of the commitment to the Under30 audience: finally Opera smart is here.
Since 1996, the journey of Opera Education has been marked by recognitions, discoveries and encounters that will allow it to never grow tired in its intent to bring opera to everyone, everywhere.
2021 Welcome to the new Opera Education website!
Debut of Acquaprofonda, a contemporary civic opera about environmental sustainability.
2020 First edition of Opera smart
Acquaprofonda is a finalist for the Fedora Education Prize 2020 and participates in the first crowdfunding campaign with international transgiving system.
2018 Presentation of the platform at Opera Europa
2017 First edition of Opera meno9
2016 Presentation Give your talent an opportunity in Rouen
2015 Opera domani participates in OperaExpo2015 with Milo&Maya, with which it wins the Fedora Prize.
Participates to YAMA and International Opera Awards
First edition of Opera baby
2013 Opera domani XVII – Olandese Volante wins the call European Culture Project
2012 Presentation of the platform in Brussels at the conference OperaJ
2011 First edition of Opera it and Orchestra in gioco
2010 First co-production with a foreign institution and first productions abroad
2009 Opera domani XIV – Lupus in Fabula wins the call European Culture Project
First edition of Opera kids
2006 MozartWays – Honorary prize for the educational activities for Don Giovanni
2004 Hystrio Prize
2000 XIX “Franco Abbiati” Music Criticism Prize
1997 First edition of Opera domani
1996 Birth of Opera Education
The Team
Founder and curator
Barbara Minghetti
Project Manager
Alessandra Veronesi
Relations with schools and accessibility coordinator
Valeria Moroni
International projects and promotion
Roberta Sorso
Trainer and didactic coordinator
Francesco Malanchin