Opera Class at Nova

The Opera class is one fantastic gem among the wide variety of arts-related classes available at Nova. This class provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn about all facets of opera. The student teacher, Shirah Orzech, has led the class in learning about voice types, need-to-know vocabulary, and the origins of opera. Students are also responsible for watching or listening to an opera a week, in order to supplement what they learn in class. One of the most recent in-class activities involved writing leitmotifs for each of the students’ coor teachers. A leitmotif is a sort of theme song for a character, or object, which develops throughout an opera. It can be a simple tune, only a few seconds long. Shirah said that the activity was a fun way to “deepen understanding of Wagnerian opera”.

The class particularly focuses on experiencing the wonderful local opera scene through Seattle Opera’s season performances. This year, their season includes three Verdi classics, La Traviata, Il Travatore, and Falstaff, as well a world premiere, Amelia. In preparation for October’s La Traviata, students watched excerpts from two different stagings, reviewed the plot, and listened to a guest speaker from the company. The majority of the opera class attended a dress rehearsal of La Traviata through Seattle Opera’s Experience Opera program. The Experience Opera program is aimed at getting more high school students interested in the art form. In fact, Shirah is working closely with Seattle Opera’s education associate, Seneca Garber, to help revitalize the program with a more youthful perspective. Currently, Shirah administers the Experience Opera Facebook page, which features upcoming events and updates on opera productions.

Currently, the opera class is raising money to purchase fifteen extra tickets to Il Travatore for interested SBOC students. Two weeks ago, the class cooked a lunch of spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad for Nova students. This lunch earned over half the funds necessary to purchase the tickets, and the class plans to cook lunch again in order to raise the rest of the money. This is an excellent project designed to foster connections with SBOC, and introduce more youth to opera.

For students who are interested in opera, Shirah suggests becoming a fan of the Experience Opera Facebook page (link). Students can also attend dress rehearsals at Seattle Opera (talk to Barbara Osborne about getting tickets) or join the Teen Tix program. The Teen Tix program allows teenagers to get $5 tickets the day of the performance in arts venues throughout Seattle. For those who want to watch or listen to operas at home, Shirah notes that “Barbara has great opera resources” and that the Seattle Public Library “is a good place to start”.