All for Opera and Opera for All with OperaDelaware’s New Initiative

Do you own opera glasses but have never used them?  

Have no clue what an aria is?  

That’s okay!  

OperaDelaware (OD) is an opera company with a reputation for excellence in both opera and arts education. OD presents both grand opera productions and intimate opera concerts, featuring established and emerging talent. OperaDelaware’s winter and spring season will feature mainstage performances of Verdi’s La traviata at The Grand Opera House, intimate artist-curated recitals at the OperaDelaware studios, a workshop of a new contemporary American opera by Derrick Wang, and A Valentine Cabaret with Metropolitan Opera artist Toni Marie Palmertree, who mesmerized Delaware audiences as Countess Almaviva in last season’s production of The Marriage of Figaro.  

OperaDelaware is taking the opportunity during their 2023 season to introduce audiences to this timeless art form through community-building initiatives which have become a crucial part of the company’s DNA. Pop-Up Opera enables OperaDelaware to meet fellow Delawareans where they are and remove the barriers that make opera financially and personally inaccessible. As OD presents world-class, established opera singers on a fire-engine red portable stage, audiences in Delaware are learning that opera is for everyone. Thanks to the generous support of M&T Bank, OperaDelaware is poised to increase access with reduced-price and complimentary tickets for nonprofits organizations to attend OperaDelaware’s mainstage performances of La traviata on March 31 and April 2, and to truly create Opera for All.   

In recent years, OperaDelaware was able to establish the Hometown Heroes program thanks to the generous support of Infusion Solutions of Delaware, which provided free tickets to mainstage productions at The Grand Opera House for healthcare workers and educators. The success of that initiative, which brought over 400 newcomers to the opera, quickly blossomed to include active military and veterans. Because of the support from M&T Bank, the Opera for All initiative will continue to expand as OperaDelaware will make dynamic ticketing options available for area nonprofits.  

By creating access to the arts for those who care for the community, OperaDelaware sees tremendous potential to create meaningful work that resonates with those who serve the people of Delaware most closely. Access and belonging creates the audience of tomorrow - one that is more representative of the community in which we live.  “We believe that an empty seat at the opera is a missed opportunity to make a meaningful connection and change lives for the better,” says OperaDelaware General Director Brendan Cooke.  OperaDelaware has created unique discount codes and ticketing pages for area nonprofits, educators, healthcare workers, and active and retired military. Visit operade.org for a list of participating organizations. After claiming complimentary tickets, participants will be sent a brief pre-show survey asking about their expectations for a night at the opera and what they are looking for in a night out in Wilmington. Following the performance, those same patrons will be asked to take part in a short interview with OperaDelaware’s Vice President of Engagement, Kerriann Otaño, to hear directly from the community about their experiences, unlocking new ways to convert first-timers into opera fans. 

If you are a member of an organization interested in partnering to make reduced price or complimentary tickets available for your team, please be sure to contact Kerriann Otaño, OperaDelaware Vice President of Engagement, at kotano@operade.org.   

“Opera for all” is more than just an initiative. It is a promise that OperaDelaware is committed to representing our community both on and off the stage. Add opera to your next #VisitWilm getaway.