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Home Community & Learning For Schools and Teachers Field Trips Elementary Student Matinees

Elementary Student Matinees

Best field trip ever? (We think so.)

Kids experience the magic of opera with an interactive, 45-minute performance created just for them on an exciting trip to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion—for free*.

Picture it: your class marvels at the golden fountain and glittering glass chandeliers before settling in to watch a show written especially for young people, featuring some of opera's greatest hits. Let's journey through the exciting world of opera together.

*Bus transportation not included.

2026/27 Schedule

Open Door Days
September 24-25, 2026

Who Wants to Be an Opera Singer?
March 11-12, 2027

Applications for both fall 2026 and spring 2027 will be accepted on a rolling basis until the programs are full.

Fall 2026: Open Door Days

Welcome to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, where we open the doors to creativity and adventure every day. Your students will learn all about the opera house, from the orchestra pit to the supertitles above the stage, and how to be an A+ audience member with open ears, open eyes, and open minds. Together, we'll journey to Spain with the Toreador from Bizet's Carmen, meet the sad clown of Verdi's Rigoletto and a high-flying couple from Mozart's The Magic Flute, and stop by Paris with Musetta from Puccini's La Bohème before The Girl of the Golden West brings us back home to California.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

  • Thursday, September 24, 2026, 10:00am and 11:30am
  • Friday, September 25, 2026, 10:00am and 11:30am

Teachers who have been accepted must attend a required orientation via Zoom on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 5:00–6:00pm.

APPLY NOW

Core Goals

  • Artistic Enrichment: Introduce students to opera through professional performances.
  • Educational Outcomes: Support curriculum connections in music, storytelling, and literacy.
  • Social-Emotional Growth: Encourage curiosity, empathy, and reflection through story and character.
  • Access and Inclusion: Ensure free, equitable access for schools across Los Angeles County.
“

I had such a good day exploring new operas with you!

I loved the beautiful singing and the stories were wonderful.

The show was so funny, I couldn't hold in my laughter!

Spring 2027: Who Wants to Be an Opera Singer?

Step on down and meet our three talented contestants as they compete for a golden award on everyone's favorite game show, Who Wants to Be an Opera Singer? Created by Mark Saltzman, winner of seven Emmy Awards for his work on the beloved children's television series Sesame Street, this riveting introduction to opera will teach your students all about concepts including voice and character types, the orchestra and the conductor, and genres like comedic operetta. With a spin of the sparkly wheel, our singers will treat us to some of opera's greatest hits from Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Verdi's La Traviata, and Strauss's Die Fledermaus, to name just a few.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

  • Thursday, March 11, 2027, 10:00am and 11:30am
  • Friday, March 12, 2027, 10:00am and 11:30am

Teachers who have been accepted must attend a required orientation via Zoom on Wednesday, February 10, 2027, 5:00–6:00pm.

APPLY NOW

To get in touch with questions, connect with us at Connects@laopera.org or call us at 213.972.3157.

Leadership support for this program from
Max H. Gluck Foundation

Special support from the
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Second District
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Fourth District
Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts

LA Opera Connects is generously supported by
The Emanuel Treitel Senior Citizen Fund
The Green Foundation
The Music Man Foundation