About Music! Words! Opera!

Music! Words! Opera! (M!W!O!) is a national curriculum program that promotes interdisciplinary study and inspires the creation of original works in opera, theater, and visual art.  It provides excellent professional development for teachers through a stimulating week-long summer workshop, complete with materials, and a wealth of resources and personnel to support them throughout the school year.  Teachers of any discipline can benefit from this program.  Developed by OPERA America (the service organization for professional opera companies), M!W!O! has been operating successfully around the country for almost twenty years.

Indianapolis Opera's Music! Words! Opera! Program

Information about our 2009-10 program

Indianapolis Opera was the first opera company in the country to implement M!W!O! at the high school level, in 1996.  Since then, our program has expanded to include middle schools as well.

We were also the first opera company to partner with a university in the delivery of the program.  Since the beginning, Butler University has been involved with M!W!O!  Professors from the school have served as instructors and mentors for teachers participating in the program, and several Butler students have worked directly with M!W!O! students on music composition and acting.

We choose one opera each year to be the basis for M!W!O! study—and then make that opera part of the company's main stage season so that students and teachers are able to see a live performance of the work.  This "focus" opera always deals with universal concepts and themes that are relevant to today's students and can easily be incorporated into teachers' curricula.  Previous operas have included Otello, Carmen, Macbeth, Faust, Porgy and Bess, Aïda, La Bohème, Romeo and Juliet, Rigoletto, The Crucible, The Marriage of Figaro, Tosca, and Hansel and Gretel.  The 2009-2010 subject will again be La Bohème.

 
During the summer workshop, participating teachers design academic and creative projects to engage in with their students during the school year.  We offer M!W!O! teachers many benefits throughout the year, such as discounted tickets to our productions, free in-school performances by our Ensemble, and additional professional development opportunities.

Teachers are expected to attend the entire workshop, turn in a written implementation plan, and meet during the year with Indianapolis Opera staff.  CEUs are available for the course, and Butler graduate credits may be available.

Please call (317) 283-3531 or e-mail pattyh@indyopera.org for more information.

Music! Words! Opera! is sponsored by The Indianapolis Foundation