Opera Delaware’s formal season is winding down, but it's keeping the voices warmed up for next season with pop up events.
This is the company’s third year utilizing the pop up concept in public areas, private functions and schools to share opera’s excitement to Delawareans.
The Pop Up Opera appearances combine a small portable stage on wheels with a carnival atmosphere to promote the classical music form.
Opera Delaware’s Kerriann Otaño explains why the concept is getting attention.
“It really takes a lot of the intimidation factor out of opera and it makes something just like a fun festival feel. Then you realize ‘Wow, I’ve been listening to someone singing in Italian and German and French for the last 45 minutes and I feel really connected to it. Why is that?’ It’s because we’re creating a fun environment where everyone feels like they can belong and have a good time together.”
Otano travels to the annual Opera Conference in Los Angeles this week to promote the PopUp concept.
“I’m really there as a spokesperson for community engagement for what Pop Up Opera has been to Delaware. It’s really revolutionary for the whole opera industry, so I’m really excited to show people what we’ve done here in Delaware in the last couple of years and how we’ve built a new kind of relationship for the community.”
The conference is billed as the largest assembly of opera administrators, artists, trustees, and associates in the world.
Opera Delaware already has 6 pop-up events scheduled in June. Details on those events and more can be found at operade.org.
Delaware Public Media' s arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
