STUDENTS

Student Matinee for Grades 3–12: Falstaff
Thursday, April 30, 2026    10:30 am–1:00 pm at the Benedum Center
Sung in Italian with English texts projected above the stage.
Download our Student Matinee Reservation Form.
       
Adapted from Shakespeare plays, Falstaff is full of merriment and mischief! Beloved buffoon Sir John Falstaff has fallen on hard times. But being a ladies’ man (or so he’d like to think), he schemes to cash in on his wit and charm by wooing the wealthy wives of Windsor, Alice Ford and Meg Page. When they uncover that he has sent them both identical love letters, they hatch a plan of their own to teach Falstaff a lesson he won’t soon forget! 
 
Students will enjoy a complete mainstage performance of Verdi’s comedy with full orchestra, top-quality singers, and colorful production elements. Falstaff provides rich learning opportunities about music, history, and Shakespeare.
 
Attend the prerequisite workshop to receive  extensive education materials, including a Study Guide, Lesson Ideas, PowerPoints, and an Arts Discovery Packet.

Our signature program is a unique, fun, and stimulating professional learning opportunity for teachers of all grade levels in all content areas.
Workshop topics include the five 2025–2026 season operas plus additional arts integration materials so that teachers have additional resources to use in their classes. Each workshop is recorded so that participants can attend live or at a later time. We include live presentations and/or performances by guest artists. And, we provide some of the workshop materials in advance for participants to explore at their convenience, so the actual “live” workshop time is short and engaging. We offer a total of six 1.5 hour workshops on Saturday mornings from 10:30 am–12:00 pm via Zoom, with a one hour networking time afterwards, plus one in-person set tour at the Bitz Opera Factory.

Students and teachers from eligible middle and high schools may purchase reduced-price opera tickets for Pittsburgh Opera performances. Ticket prices range from $7 to $15, and are based on a sliding scale
according to a school's percentage of free/reduced price lunch. Teachers attend a workshop and get materials to prepare students. Some schools have even created Opera Clubs!

Download our Opera Opportunity brochure and Reservation Form.