Discover how opera, from the Baroque era to the present, reflected and shaped the political environments of its time, harnessing its ability to inspire, educate, and unite audiences to become a powerful medium for the expression of political ideas and cultural values.

In this six-part beginner’s guide series, join Associate Director of Community Engagement Lokela Alexander Minami for lively and informative multimedia presentations that will help you make sense of this larger-than-life art form by giving you some essential terms and taking you on a listening tour of some of the most popular operas in the repertoire.

Get to know contemporary opera in a class led by dramaturg Jonathan Dean. Spanning a large range of topics and musical styles, this class will help participants deepen their knowledge of the astonishing recent surge of operatic creativity.

From queer composers such as Britten and Tchaikovsky, to gender-expansive traditions in opera and queer interpretations of traditional operas, learn more about the long-standing role of queerness in opera both historically and today.

Get to know the many sides of the audience-favorite and beloved opera, Georges Bizet's Carmen, led by dramaturg Jonathan Dean. Plus, when you register for this seminar, you will automatically be included in a one-night-only lecture by conductor Ludovic Morlot about Bizet on May 5.