By Natalie Skowlund and Casey Margerum
For Little Listeners…
A (Student) Night At The Opera
Age: 5 to 18 years old
Opera Carolina, Charlotte’s local opera company, offers Student Night performances during the final dress rehearsal before each show. Open to youth in grades K-12 and chaperones only, Student Night offers great prices and special features, like a Q & A with cast members during intermission and youth guides to the performance. These performances also have English translations above the stage to make the plot more accessible to young viewers. Youth can receive a 50 percent discount on regular show tickets as well. 2019/20 productions include Macbeth, La Boheme, and I Dream, about the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
For more information:
OperaCarolina 2019-2020 Season
Sounds of The Symphony
Age: 4 to 9 years old, Family Series; all ages, Pops and Movies In Concert Series
The Charlotte Symphony presents a special Family Series during each season. This series of one-hour concerts are specifically oriented toward families with young children, and include free pre-concert activities for kids. The 2019/20 Family Series includes Magic of Christmas, Peter and The Wolf, and Wonder Women: Heroes and Villains.
For older kids, the Charlotte Symphony’s Pops and Movies In Concert Series are fun introductions to classical music. The Pops Series provides a range of concerts that merge pop and show tunes with the classical sound of the Symphony. The Movies In Concert Series brings favorite feature films to the concert stage, screening the movie while the Symphony plays hits from the movie soundtrack live. The 2019/20 Pops Series includes Patriotic Pops and Broadway Favorites. 2019/20 Movies In Concert will feature movies such as Home Alone, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Indiana Jones: Raiders of The Lost Ark.
For more information:
Charlotte Symphony 2019/2020 Season
For Petite Performers…
Join In Song
Ages: 5 to 18 years old
For more information:
Children inspired by song may be interested in joining one of Charlotte’s youth choirs, such as Charlotte Children’s Choir, Young Voices of The Carolinas, or The Choir School at St. Peter’s. Children can gain experience making music together and boosting their confidence through performance. The Charlotte Children’s Choir even offers a financial aid program that adjusts annual tuition based on family income. Most require an initial placement audition in order to join.
The Choir School at St. Peter’s
Introduction to Instruments
Ages: 9 to 18 years old, or equivalent requisite experience
Have a child with a curiosity for musical instruments? A youth orchestra may be just the thing to get her playing around with music. Local youth orchestras, such as Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras, Youth Orchestras of Charlotte, and the Cornelius Youth Orchestras, offer opportunities to help your young musician explore an instrument and begin her journey into orchestral classical music.
Though most youth orchestras hold their competitive auditions for the following year each spring, it may still be possible to schedule an audition upon request. Cornelius Youth Orchestras has upcoming auditions on Tuesday, August 13 (with pre-registration via website).
For more information:
Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras
Opening Up to Opera
Ages: 13 to 18 years old
Older youth may be interested in the Opera Carolina Academy, a summer program that offers tracks for both singer-actors and students interested in technical theater. Performers study everything from technique to stage combat, while technical theater students work behind the scenes to learn about stage management and scene design.
For More Information: Opera Carolina Academy