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Brittany Mazzurco
Public & Media Relations Manager
305-854-1643 int. 1206
bmazzurco@fgo.org

 

Opera Reaches Children through Production:

Florida Grand Opera Benefits Students
Through Annual, Interactive OPERA LAB Program

MIAMI – September 8, 2014 – Even throughout its off-season, Florida Grand Opera (FGO) continues to demonstrate its commitment to the community through a series of events and partnerships targeting students interested in the arts. Cerise Sutton, Director of Education, and Kevin G. Mynatt, Director of Production and Technical Director, are working with Miami-Dade and Broward schools throughout the year to enrich the performing arts experience for local children.

Friday, September 5, 2014 marked the start of FGO’s second year of OPERA LAB, a “laboratory of learning through opera.” This 10-month in-school residency program demonstrates the application of traditional academic subjects through creative media. From now until October 7, 2014, the first of a series of OPERA LAB sessions will be conducted at Westland Hialeah Senior High School, and will focus on three-dimensional design elements found in opera productions.Kevin Mynatt

Throughout their demonstrations, Sutton and Mynatt stress the importance of basic academic subjects — such as math, history, and physics — as they apply to building scenery and props for the stage. Above all, Sutton encourages students to pursue their passions and explore many possibilities.

“We are really excited to work with Florida Grand Opera and their OPERA LAB… It is going to be a really interesting year where we can explore how the real world applies art principles and elements of design, and just get the children out there to see how what they learn in school really happens in the work field, “says Josefina M. Beyra, Fine Arts Chair & Teacher at Westland Hialeah Senior High School.

OPERA LAB began with a costuming presentation for a group of music and art students at Richmond Heights Middle School in May of 2013. Due to the community’s overwhelming support, OPERA LAB has expanded to two high schools in just over one year: Hialeah Senior High School, and most recently Westland Hialeah Senior High School.

Every season Florida Grand Opera’s Education Department creates a broad range of engaging music education and community programs. More than 20,000 children, families and community members will take part in FGO programs this season, in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. 

Additionally,8,000 middle and high school students from South Florida schools will attend the final dress rehearsals of each FGO production at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts or the Broward Center for Performing Arts. Says Sutton, “All students deserve the opportunity to experience the opera live.”

Through its community programs, FGO provides free public recitals and musical workshops throughout South Florida, making opera accessible to over 24 communities annually. Together, these programs (plus many more) bring musical experiences and education to people of all ages and circumstances

 

Westland Hialeah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All photos © Carmen Kruse for Florida Grand Opera