ADULTS
- About
- Seasons
- LA BOHÈME
- FELLOW TRAVELERS
- CURLEW RIVER
- TIME TO ACT
- FALSTAFF
- Past Seasons
- TOSCA
- CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA/ PAGLIACCI
- ARMIDA
- MADAMA BUTTERFLY
- WOMAN WITH EYES CLOSED
- THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
- THE FLYING DUTCHMAN
- IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE
- PROVING UP
- LA TRAVIATA
- THE PASSION OF MARY CARDWELL DAWSON
- RUSALKA
- THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO
- ARIODANTE
- IL TROVATORE
- DENIS & KATYA
- WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED
- THE MAGIC FLUTE
- THE ROSE ELF
- IN A GROVE
- CARMEN
- BLUE
- Free & Low Cost Events
- Special Events
- Tickets
- Support
- Education
- Resident Artists
- Our Team
- Facilities
- Current Media Releases
- Pittsburgh Opera presents romance, broken hearts, free concerts, disco, and more this fall
- Pittsburgh Opera is proud to announce its stellar class of 2025-26 Resident Artists
- Pittsburgh Opera to host 18th Annual Piano Sale August 21st-24th
- Christopher Hahn to retire after 2025-26 Season
- Pittsburgh Opera announces its 87th season
- Pittsburgh Opera presents Haydn’s 'Armida' Jan. 25–Feb.2, 2025
- Pittsburgh Opera presents drama, intrigue, murder and more this fall
- Pittsburgh Opera announces its 2024-25 Resident Artists
- Music Director Antony Walker receives 5-year contract extension
- Pittsburgh Opera to offer free childcare during La Traviata matinee
- Pittsburgh Opera announces first of its kind rideshare voucher program
- Emily Richter a Grand Finals Winner of Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition
Pittsburgh Opera offers a range of services to help ensure all adults enjoy their opera experience.
Audio Commentary Service
Pittsburgh Opera offers an Audio Description service for patrons with visual impairments during Tuesday performances at the Benedum Center, Calvary Episcopal Church, and the Bitz Opera Factory. The service is provided on Sunday at the Byham Theater. Through Assistive Listening Devices, patrons can hear the Supertitles read simultaneously with their appearance on the screen, as well as descriptions of the set, characters, and costumes.
2025–26 Pittsburgh Opera Audio Commentary dates:
La bohème - Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 7:00 pm
Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Pittsburgh
Fellow Travelers - Sunday, November 16, 2025, 2:00 pm
Byham Theater, downtown Pittsburgh
Curlew River - Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 7:00 pm
Calvary Episcopal Church (Shadyside), 315 Shady Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Time to Act - Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 7:00 pm
Bitz Opera Factory in the Strip District
Falstaff - Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 7:00 pm
Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Pittsburgh
Some facts about the Audio Commentary program:
A patron may reserve a seat in advance by calling 412-281-0912, extension 213. Tickets are only $14.00 each for patrons with visual impairments and a companion, and consideration will be given in case of financial hardship. Tickets are normally held in the box office at each theater.
To pick up an Assistive Listening Device, a patron presents an ID at the Guest Services Center at the Benedum Center or the Audio Commentary table in the lobby of other theaters.
Braille and Large-Print programs are available at each performance.
An all-volunteer team has provided the Audio Commentary service since 2003. Several team members provide individual assistance to patrons as they arrive and pick up Assistive Listening Devices. Another team member reads from the program book ten minutes before each act of the performance—the "pre-show"—and reads the Supertitles and describes the visual aspects of the stage—the "play-by-play".
The week before each performance, Pittsburgh Opera Education sends a reminder email to Patrons with Visual Impairments on the email list. The email contains Study Guide articles as well as information specific to the upcoming performance:
- Time and date of performance
- Performance duration
- Location logistics, security, and bag policy information
- Description of the opera

Pittsburgh Opera Audio Commentary Team— Julia, Ray, Jan, Donna, and Mary Ann
Braille and Large-Print Programs
Braille and large-print programs are available at each performance.
Hearing Assistance
Infrared hearing devices are available at our Benedum Center performances. Channel 1 on the Infrared Hearing Devices is for audio amplification.
Sign Language Interpretation
Sign language interpretation can usually be arranged upon request. Please see our accessibility webpage for details.
Opera Study Guides
The Study Guides for each opera are posted in PDF format on the Pittsburgh Opera website in advance of the opera's opening, and are available in paper form at all performances, in the lobby area.
For more information about Pittsburgh Opera programs for Adults, please email Marilyn Michalka Egan, Ph.D., Director of Education.
OSHER COURSES


Pittsburgh Opera provides several courses each season through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Membership and enrollment is through the university programs.
Homepage - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute - Carnegie Mellon University (cmu.edu)
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute | University of Pittsburgh