September 30, 2015 – Richmond, VA – Virginia Opera, the Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, is pleased to announce the launch of an historic new initiative created to provide free in-school opera performances for elementary school students. This Education Coalition Initiative, known as Adopt-A-School, was launched through a grassroots effort to sponsor in-school performances in Northern Virginia due to the reduction of government funding for such programming. The Woodlands Retirement Community was the first entity to underwrite several performances in Fairfax, VA. Since then, that vision has leveraged substantial underwriting from anonymous donors in Central and Northern VA which has resulted in extensive availability of free in-school opera performances for elementary school students. Many of these productions are original world premiere works created by Virginia Opera’s Community Outreach Musical Director, Dr. Glenn Winters. World premiere works by Dr. Winters featured in this season’s tour include A Trickster Trilogy, a comic romp through three classic fables and in honor of Black History month, Deep River, the story of the courageous African American contralto, Marian Anderson. These engaging interactive 40 minute operas include singers, costumes and sets, and adhere to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Standards of Learning. In Central Virginia the initiative will offer free in-school performances to every elementary school in the cities of Richmond and Petersburg. In Northern Virginia, seventeen elementary schools in Arlington and eight elementary schools in Alexandria will benefit.
Virginia Opera President and CEO, Russell P. Allen says,” This Initiative’s early success represents the willingness of individuals to come together and make a difference in the development of children through innovative musical experiences. Reaching young children before they acquire preconceived and obsolete ideas about opera is key to reaching Virginia Opera’s goal of securing the youngest opera audience in the United States by 2025.”
Richmond Public School Superintendent, Dr. Dana Bedden states, “As a lifelong educator and supporter of the Arts, I believe that it is essential for young audiences to experience the gamut of musical genres. Richmond Public Schools is proud to be one of the recipients of The Education Coalition Adopt-A- School Initiative. For many of our students, this may be their first experience at the Opera and we are proud to be a part of this transformational opportunity. In the field of education, we are constantly challenged with new and innovative ways to reach success in our students. Richmond Public Schools has taken on the challenge to reach our students in many different ways, as we are on the cutting edge with our Arts Integration model at Binford Middle School. It is our commitment to provide our students with a 21st century education that will prepare them to compete in a global marketplace. We are indeed grateful for the Virginia Opera and the Adopt-A-School Initiative, for providing this meaningful opportunity for the Kindergarten through fifth grade students of Richmond Public Schools. ”
Dranesville District Supervisor, John W. Foust responds to the initiative, “Music is the universal language, and I applaud the efforts of Virginia Opera to bring the beauty of opera music to elementary students in Northern Virginia. The seeds of many of our lifelong habits are planted in elementary school. Introducing opera to young students through an interactive process will, undoubtedly, create opera-loving adults and perhaps performers.”
Petersburg Public School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Melvin also states, “As superintendent of Petersburg City Public Schools, I am excited to partner with the Virginia Opera. Our students will be afforded the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the opera right at their schoolhouse doors. We would like to thank the Virginia Opera for bringing this unique experience within the City of Petersburg. As our schools strive to increase educational opportunities and the awareness of the humanities, this initiative allows our students to gain meaningful understanding of the arts.”
Virginia Opera Statewide Director of Education and Outreach, Robert Cinnante says, “The Adopt-A-School program breaks down barriers that cuts in public arts education funding erect, propelling the Virginia Opera towards its goal of securing the youngest opera audience in America over the next decade. I’m grateful to the individuals and organizations behind these Education Coalitions that enable me and my department to carry out the important work of sharing opera with elementary schoolchildren in these communities, and look forward to seeing the rapid and continued development of these programs statewide.
The Education Coalition Adopt-A-School Initiative is part of Virginia Opera’s comprehensive vision to secure the youngest opera audience in the United States by 2025.
CONTACT:
Ellen Bender, Development and Marketing Director, Central/Northern Virginia
P.O. BOX 784 ● RICHMOND, VA 23218
PHONE: 804-644-8168 EXT 3396
EMAIL: ELLEN.BENDER@VAOPERA.ORG
About Virginia Opera
Virginia Opera Association, Inc., in its 41st season, is known and respected nationwide for the identification and presentation of the finest young artists, for the musical and dramatic integrity of its productions, and for the ingenuity and variety of its education and outreach programs. Mainstage performances in three markets across the Commonwealth reach nearly 50,000 attendees annually. In March of 1994, by unanimous vote of the Virginia General Assembly, Virginia Opera was named The Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia in recognition of the organization’s contribution to the state as well as to the world of opera. For tickets and information visit vaopera.org or call 866.673.7282.