Lyric Opera of Kansas City is proud to offer customized residency courses to schools and organizations across the Kansas City area.
Residency courses can be crafted according to partner needs, accommodate varying timeframes ranging from one class session to several months, and provide instruction in areas ranging from vocal performance to technical theater. The possibilities are endless! See examples of recent partnerships below:
Throughout the school year, fourth grade students at Notre Dame de Sion worked with dedicated teaching artists—professional singers, musicians, and composers—who guided them through the process of creating, writing, and rehearsing their own original operas. Using Opera America's “Music! Words! Opera!” curriculum, students took the lead in every aspect of production, including story development and design, culminating in a final performance for family and friends.
Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s Learning staff and teaching artists provided year-long theater and choir instruction at Central Middle School and Lincoln College Preparatory Academy. In addition to daily classes, students engaged in special Lyric Opera programs and events, including Narrative Storytelling Workshops and Student Dress Rehearsals.
In January of 2024, Lyric Opera of Kansas City Learning staff facilitated a lesson for choir students at St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City, Missouri. This session was developed to support the choir’s upcoming trip to Italy. Students were provided with a comprehensive overview of Italian opera through instruction on its history and role in major European social movements. The event was supplemented by performances of Italian arias by our Resident and Apprentice artists.
In April of 2024, the Academy for Integrated Arts (AFIA) welcomed Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s touring production, The Haberdasher Prince to perform for their entire student body. The following day, Lyric Opera Learning staff returned to AFIA 3rd and 4th grade classrooms for an immersive workshop on costume design. Students were introduced to the fundamental principles of characterization through costume design and were challenged to build their own costumes in small groups using found materials.
In response to a Facebook post seeking a theater professional to teach 7th hour Repertory Theater class, Lyric Opera collaborated with Associate Principal Britton Haney to design a custom residency experience for students. Neal Long, Lyric Opera Director of Learning, was in residence at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School three days a week and led 15 students through an exploratory process of unlocking opera’s potential.
To begin planning your residency course, email Manager of School Programs Emily Bridges at ebridges@kcopera.org.
Plan your residency course
Lyric Opera education staff will work with teachers and administrators to ensure all activities are aligned to curricular standards and satisfy learning objectives.
Pricing is scalable. Contact Manager of School Programs Emily Bridges at ebridges@kcopera.org to learn more and receive a quote.
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