LA Opera's Annual 'Opera Camp' Goes Virtual This Summer

Since 2001, young music lovers between the ages of 9 and 17 have gathered together at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to sing, create and challenge themselves through LA Opera's annual summer Opera Camp. Faced with the new challenges of our time, the company swiftly made adaptations to enable this important program to continue serving the young people of Los Angeles County - this year's Opera Camp will take place in virtual studios and rehearsal rooms. This new adjustment assures the continuity of a beloved program that has come to mean so much for its participants.

Dedicated to exploring important themes of social justice, Opera Camp is one of the signature initiatives of LA Opera Connects, which offers dozens of family and school programs throughout the year. Each summer, the Opera Camp participants (coming from every corner of Los Angeles) rehearse and perform an opera that focuses on big ideas-something that the art form is uniquely suited to address. When they're not learning music, campers are immersed in inspirational discussions about civil rights and social justice. This helps them truly connect with the issues depicted in the opera that they perform. This summer, the youngsters will collaborate to create a completely new work, The Song of Los Angeles.

Click here to watch a video preview of this summer's Opera Camp.

"At a time when Angelenos have been forced to isolate in their homes, The Song of Los Angeles arrives at the perfect moment," said Stacy C. Brightman, Ph.D., Vice President of LA Opera Connects. "We envision the new piece as a musical quilt, full of hope and resilience, forming a bridge between communities and across the generations." The young Opera Camp participants will be put in direct communication with the elders of our city, who will share their experiences of LA's unique communities. Inspired by the stories they learn, the students will then produce individually recorded performances that will be combined into a video, posted online for the public, which they can share with family and friends.

The Opera Camp experience is something these talented kids will remember far beyond the final bows. "Opera Camp is a place where everyone can truly be themselves," said Talia Isaacs, a recent participant. "It's a very supportive place for people to be able to grow and really improve their craft. When you work with a group of people five days a week, you make unbreakable bonds. I talk to my Opera Camp friends regularly year-round."

An intense but fun-filled experience, this year's Opera Camp will be an enriching online program. There will be three two-week sessions (June 22 through July 3; July 13 through 24; July 27 through August 7), running every weekday morning. Students can sign up for one or more sessions. Each session also includes opportunities to engage with the artists and leaders of LA Opera.

Auditions for Opera Camp will take place via video submission, and they're underway now. Everyone is welcome, no matter how much experience they have (or don't have); the only requirement is that participants must have a device with internet access and video. Learn more at LAOpera.org/opera-camp.