At its heart, opera is storytelling: a place where music, drama, art, and history meet in a medium unparalleled in its power to speak to the human spirit. Tri-Cities Opera’s education programs draw on our extraordinary resources – gifted artists and musicians, skilled tradespeople, award-winning educators, and our unique location in the heart of Binghamton’s First Ward – to tell the stories that are most meaningful to our community.
At Tri-Cities Opera, we believe that opera is for everyone. As a company with more than 75 years of history in the Southern Tier, we have witnessed how our work reaches beyond the stage and into the community. Our education programs expand this reach, boosting learning, strengthening community connections, driving economic growth, and contributing to both individual and collective well-being.
Our suite of education programs invites our community not just to experience opera, but also to participate in it as creators, collaborators, culture bearers, and learners. From bringing opera into schools to developing original works with urban youth, from sparking joyful memories for elders to developing a skilled workforce for the local arts economy, Tri-Cities Opera’s education programs make the art form accessible, relevant, and responsive to all the communities we serve.
Through our education programs, Tri-Cities Opera is expanding the possibilities of what an opera company can be. Our education programs open doors, nurture curiosity, foster human connection, and empower people to discover their own creative potential.
Named as a nod to Binghamton’s famous carousels, Opera-Go-Round has been delivering the excitement of a fully-staged children’s opera to schools throughout New York State and northern Pennsylvania for nearly 50 years. Students engage with our singers and pianist to explore this unique art form with stories connected to curriculum standards and take away valuable social-emotional learning lessons.
This year’s selection is an abbreviated version of our production of Hansel & Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck, based on the familiar fairy tale about two spirited siblings who become lost while searching for food and must and must use their courage and cleverness to outwit a dangerous witch.
Recommended Ages: 4-12 years old (Pre-K to 6th Grades)
Cost: $1,400 within 50 miles of TCO Opera Center, $1,500 over 50 miles from TCO Opera Center. Limited grant funding is available to address access barriers. Schools may be eligible for BOCES Arts-In-Education funding, up to the cost of the performance.
The program includes a 40-minute performance and 10-minute question and answer session with the Opera-Go-Round team.
Dates are available from late September 2026 through May 2027. Contact emma.jones@tricitiesopera.org for more information or to schedule your performance!
The Tri-Cities Youth Choir is a new performance program for singers ages 10–18 who rehearse weekly with experienced music educators while developing vocal technique, musicianship, music literacy, and sight-reading skills in a fun and supportive environment.
Participants have opportunities to perform in Tri-Cities Opera productions, holiday events, and community performances throughout the season.
Rehearsals began September 2026 and participation is completely free for accepted students thanks to funding from the Broome County Youth Bureau.
TCO Creative Lab invites young people to discover the power of storytelling through creativity, collaboration, and original performance. Working with Tri-Cities Opera teaching artists, participants develop their own stories and transform them into original micro-operas, exploring the connections between words, music, imagination, and theatrical expression. The program nurtures literacy, creative confidence, and communication skills while empowering young people to shape and share stories in their own voices.
Tri-Cities Opera invites you to invite us to your senior center, assisted living, or residential care facility for a recital and talk featuring some of the greatest hits from the operatic and Broadway canons.
We know that for seniors and residents of residential care facilities, travel to our mainstage productions may be difficult or impossible. But that shouldn’t mean a lack of access to high-quality arts programming! Tri-Cities Opera will curate a thoughtful program with selections ranging from operatic favorites like Mozart and Verdi to the Golden Age of Broadway. Presentations will also include an educational element with a member of our staff sharing and taking questions about the operatic art form, the context of music performed, and the 75-year history of Tri-Cities Opera’s contribution to our regional arts community.
Exposure to music improves the quality of life and health outcomes of seniors and residents of care facilities. Music can lessen the effects of memory loss and depression and can improve the immune system. And, concert programs like ours that encourage residents and community members to enjoy music together can encourage socialization and decrease isolation. TCO is proud and excited to honor and serve the seniors of our region through this program.
Length: Approximately 45 minutes
Cost: $800 within 50 miles of TCO Opera Center, $850 over 50 miles from TCO Opera Center. Limited grant funding is available to address access barriers.
