The intimacy that characterizes Gotham Chamber Opera's performances also characterizes our arts-in-education program. In 2002, we began presenting preview performances for hundreds of students and teachers, and in the following year added discussion sessions afterward. In 2005, we established in-class residencies in collaboration with teachers at Gotham Chamber Opera's partner school, the High School of Economics and Finance. In 2007, that program's scope was expanded to include the Allen-Stevenson School, our first partnership with an elementary school.

The goal of our education program is to increase students' understanding and enjoyment of opera and classical music while introducing them to the company's productions. To accomplish this, we provide teachers with education packets that include each opera's libretto in translation, a CD of selections, and a host of classroom materials, including background information on the work and composer, suggested discussion topics, classroom activities, related web sites, and glossaries.

Since 2002, Gotham Chamber Opera's preview performances have been attended by students from Seward Park High School, the High School of Economics and Finance, University Neighborhood High School, the High School of Art and Design, Martin Luther King, Jr. High School, Norman Thomas High School, and the Allen-Stevenson School, all in New York City, as well as from Red Hook Central High School in Red Hook, NY. In addition, students from City College, Hunter College, The Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Vassar College, Barnard College, and Rowan University have attended these free previews. Discussion sessions following the performances provide intimate access to the artistic process, as students share their reactions with our singers, stage director, and artistic director.

The in-class residency program entered its third year with our recent production of Rossini's Il signor Bruschino. In these residencies, Gotham Chamber Opera's teaching artists collaborate with classroom teachers to develop curricula that complement student coursework. Topics have included character and story development in opera, careers in opera, and opera and non-profit finance. In each residency, teaching artists provide opportunities for students to articulate their impressions of and critical responses to the opera's music while preparing them to attend a full preview performance. To support these in-class sessions, teachers and teaching artists attend professional development workshops that aid in planning appropriate themes and activities.

The purpose of the in-class residency program is to help students establish a context for the appreciation of opera, both in their course of studies and in their lives beyond school. The students, teachers, and singers have found this in-depth collaboration extremely rewarding. We look forward to continuing our arts-in-education programs with Astor Piazzolla's María de Buenos Aires in the fall of 2007 and with Ariadne Unhinged in 2008.