Extending the Stage
Every season, Madison Opera supplements its mainstage performances with innovative ways to experience and explore the breadth of the art form. From recitals to online lectures and in-person panel discussions, we invite you to join us off the stage for an enlightening exploration of opera.
Community Previews
Join Madison Opera for free previews of our operas at local retirement communities! Madison Opera staff will offer a multimedia look at each opera’s composer, history, and our upcoming production, including a performance by a Studio Artist.
Previews are FREE and open to the general public.
María de Buenos Aires Previews
January 7 at 7pm | Oakwood Village (West)
6205 Mineral Point. Rd.
January 15 at 7pm | Capitol Lakes
333 W. Main St.
Don Giovanni Previews
April 3 at 7pm | Capitol Lakes
333 W. Main St.
April 8 at 7pm | Oakwood Village (West)
6205 Mineral Point Rd.
Digital Previews
Have tickets to a performance? Thinking of buying some? Join General Director Kathryn Smith for a multimedia preview of each show, with an entertaining look at its composer, history, and music, as well as information on Madison Opera’s production.
Watch live for the chance to ask questions of Kathryn during the preview; the previews will then remain online for you to watch whenever you wish.
Digital Preview: The Barber of Seville
Streamed live on October 10 – available to watch now
Watch on YouTube
Digital Preview: María de Buenos Aires
Will stream live on January 9 at 7pm CST
Watch on YouTube
Digital Preview: Don Giovanni
Will stream live on April 10 at 7pm CDT
Watch on YouTube
Studio Artist Recitals
Join Madison Opera’s Studio Artists for hour-long recitals of arias and ensembles from opera, art song, and more. Recitals are FREE and open to the public.
Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7pm | Capitol Lakes
333 W. Main St.
Friday, Nov. 22 at 7pm | Oakwood (West)
6205 Mineral Point Rd.
Thursday, March 20 at 7pm | Capitol Lakes
333 W. Main St.
Friday, March 21 at 7pm | Oakwood (West)
6205 Mineral Point Rd.
Opera Up Close
Madison Opera’s popular series of behind-the-scenes previews of each opera returns! General Director Kathryn Smith leads a multimedia exploration of the history of each opera, followed by a roundtable discussion with the production’s leading artists and creative team.
Opera Up Close is held at The Margaret C. Winston Madison Opera Center.
Admission is $20 for non-subscribers, $10 for 2 show subscribers and free to 3 show subscribers, payable at the door. Subscribe and save up to $60 on Opera Up Close tickets.
María de Buenos Aires Up Close
Sunday, January 26, 1-3 pm
Don Giovanni Up Close
Sunday, April 27, 1-3 pm
Opera Talk with Kathryn Smith
Opera contains so much more than what happens on stage in one production. In these hour-long lectures, General Director Kathryn Smith takes a dive into centuries of history, thematic connections, and stories, illustrated with slides, video, dry humor, and cute animals.
Get an (Operatic) Job
Streamed live on September 19 – available to watch now
Watch on Youtube
Some characters in operas seem to have no job other than to plot murders or plan romantic trysts, sometimes simultaneously. Other opera characters – Figaro, for example – have actual professions. Join Kathryn for a dive into some of opera’s most interesting professions, from cobbler to lawyer, barber, nun, fisherman, and more. (Including poets. Opera has a lot of poets. Usually tenors.)
Divas, Part 3
Will stream live on December 12 at 7pm CST
Kathryn returns to a favorite topic – the great divas of the 19th and 20th centuries. Join her for a look at the lives and careers of celebrated singers from Henriette Sontag to Olive Fremstad, Amelita Galli-Curci, Dorothy Kirsten, and more.
Opera and the Supernatural
Will stream live on March 13 at 7pm CDT
Ghosts, witches, angels, and demons – opera plots are full of the supernatural. Come along for an exploration of other-worldly opera, from classics like Don Giovanni and Faust to Armida, Robert le Diable, The Queen of Spades, and many more.
All Opera Talks will stream via Youtube. Watch live for the chance to ask questions of Kathryn during the talk; the talks themselves will remain online for you to watch when it suits you.
Looking for more? Check out the archive of previous Opera Talks here.
Opera Postcards from Madison
Like love notes to our hometown, our Opera Postcards pair performers and places to bring you soaring music, a little bit of drama, and a lot of smiles. Watch below as we take you to the Children’s Museum, Central Library, Chazen Museum of Art, Olin Park, and the Overture Center for the Arts.
