Engagement Programs

Opera Omaha’s Community Programs offer a wide variety of opportunities that go beyond the main stage productions. Each year, our engagement programs reach thousands of individuals across the metropolitan area. Whether diving deeper into the opera, opening a door to view opera from a new perspective, or introducing opera to new audiences, our engagement programs strive to make opera accessible to everyone.

Prelude Talks
Prelude talks occur prior to each main stage production. These 20-minute talks give audiences extra insight into the opera they are about to experience with information about the story, music, history and more.

Post-Show Talkbacks
Talkbacks invite the audience to explore themes and insights from the performance with members of the cast and/or artistic team as a forum for conversation and discussion about the show and their experiences.

Opera in Conversation
Opera in Conversation features three sessions in advance of each production featuring artists, scholars, and other public figures that foster cross-disciplinary explorations of artists, big questions, and concepts in Opera Omaha’s mainstage productions.

Community Concerts
Opera Omaha offers a variety of concerts and recitals in the community throughout the year. Many are through collaboration with our wonderful community partners including the Joslyn Art Museum and Gallery1516.

Student Dress Rehearsals
Each season Opera Omaha welcomes hundreds of students and their teachers to experience opera through our free student dress rehearsal program.

Poetry & Music Project
Each year, students in grades K-12 from Nebraska and Iowa are invited to submit works of poetry on selected themes. From the pool of submissions, project composers select poems to set to music based on what inspired them. The selected poets will have the opportunity to participate with the composers in a workshop to further develop the piece with musicians. The original pieces are premiered at a public concert in the spring.
Opera Omaha’s Poetry & Music Project is produced in partnership with Nebraska Writers Collective and The American Opera Project.

Opportunities for College Students
From volunteer opportunities for behind the scenes experience to our Student Rush ticket program, Opera Omaha offers a number of ways for college students to experience opera.

All students, with a valid ID, may take advantage of $10 rush tickets to Opera Omaha performances*!
You can purchase your Rush Tickets beginning one hour prior to the performance at the Orpheum Theater:
Show your valid student ID at the box office.
Purchase up to two tickets per student at $10 each.

Are you bringing 10 or more students to an Opera Omaha production and would like to take advantage of Group Rush Tickets? Call Howard Coffin at (402) 346-7372 x2 for more details!

*Restrictions and exclusions may apply.