Indianapolis Opera

The Indianapolis Opera has spent over 30 years perfecting not just their performances, but their role in arts education for both children and adults in Central Indiana. They present three to four shows yearly, including classics such as The Marriage of Figaro, but also often giving voice to 20^th century composers. The Indianapolis Opera attracts both nationally and internationally-known performers to its stage.

Performing in the historic Clowes Memorial Hall on the campus of Butler University, the Indianapolis Opera is the only professional opera company in Indiana. This gives the Indianapolis Opera the unique responsibility of not just performing for and entertaining its community, but also educating the public on opera appreciation in order to retain old supporters and attract new. The Indianapolis Opera provides a wide variety of programs for both adults and children to educate and increase the appreciation of opera and other forms of art.

One of the most popular programs the Indianapolis Opera provides for children is its Music! Words! Opera! program. Teachers are offered a 4 day summer workshop to learn to incorporate an opera into the classroom curriculum. For more than 10 years, experts in the field have taught a different opera every summer to the teachers, who present a proposed project at the end of the week. Not only is the workshop free to teachers, they are paid a stipend of $250 upon completion of their proposed project.

For adults, the Indianapolis Opera offers a variety of special programs and social events throughout the year. One of these is Opera Behind the Scenes, where community members are invited to hear a lecture by the stage director and view a rehearsal prior to the opening of the show. Another popular program is The Music of Art series – in conjunction with the Indianapolis Museum of Art, pieces of music are played while touring thematically similar pieces of art at the IMA in order for a more full and rich understanding of both forms of art.

By far the most popular adult education program is Opera Lite, an after-work social gathering with hors d’oeuvres and wine that includes a program about the upcoming opera. These programs, the other outreach efforts provided by the IO, and of course, their world-class performances, sets, and costumes, make the Indianapolis Opera a vital member of the central Indiana arts community.