Explore opera!
Madison Opera offers a wide range of education and engagement activities for both adults and students.
Student activities include the Student Matinee and the High School Apprentice Program.
Opera Up Close offers an in-depth look at each production, including an artist roundtable.
Opera Talk with Kathryn Smith returns this season. In these free online talks, Kathryn goes down varied rabbit holes of opera and its centuries of history. Find out details here.
Community previews are offered in retirement communities, and a digital version of each preview will be available to the broader public. Find out about Digital Previews here.
High School Apprentice Program
Madison Opera’s High School Apprentice Program offers high school juniors and seniors the unique opportunity to explore the world of professional opera. With behind-the-scenes access to rehearsals and performances, one-on-one interaction with professional artists and industry experts, and guidance on training, the apprentices receive a thorough introduction to the production process and careers in the performing arts. Many former apprentices have gone on to sing in the Madison Opera Chorus.
Apprentices will have the opportunity to:
- meet and dine with guest artists
- attend rehearsals, performances, and previews
- participate in master classes and workshops
- have a great time while learning about what it takes to bring an opera to life!
The program is free to students and generously underwritten by Madison Opera’s supporters. Apprentices must be able to commute to events in downtown Madison.
Applications for the 25/26 season are now closed.
If you have any questions, please contact Artistic Administrator Chloe Agostino at agostino@madisonopera.org.
Student Matinee
Now in its fourth decade, the Student Matinee brings thousands of middle and high school students from across Wisconsin to a school-day performance at Madison Opera. The Student Matinee for the 25/26 season is Mozart’s Così fan tutte on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in Overture Hall at 11am.
Così fan tutte lasts approx. 3 hours including one intermission. It is sung in Italian with projected English translations. This production is appropriate for high school and middle school students. Children under the age of 9 will not be admitted.
Tickets are $5 for students and chaperones. Limited subsidies are available upon request and are calculated based on the school’s Free & Reduced Lunch Program participation. Tickets are non-refundable.
Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click the link below to register online. Payment must be received by April 8, 2026.
For any questions or further information, email Chloe Agostino at agostino@madisonopera.org.
Behind the Scenes
When the curtain goes up on a Madison Opera production at Overture Center, you are transported to a new world through the culmination of days, months, and years of hard work. During our 2021 performances of Lucia di Lammermoor, we went behind the curtain to talk with some of the professionals who made that production possible.
Watch this short series of videos as they introduce themselves, share a bit about what they do, and give you a perspective audiences never see.
