Social Distancing for Opera Lovers – How to Get Your Opera Fix

The Metropolitan Opera is offering free, live-stream presentations of its operas every evening during the coronavirus closure. The performances, “Nightly Opera Streams,” are encore presentations of its award-winning Live in HD series. The streams begin at 7:30 p.m. every evening and remain available on their homepage for 20 hours. See current schedule and watch here. 

At the beginning of the year, Opera America launched its year-long #MeetOpera campaign in honor of its 50th anniversary. The digital campaign partners with member companies throughout the United States to showcase and introduce the variety and vitality of opera via social media. Search the #MeetOpera hashtag across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and see the different aspects of opera happening all over the country! 

Following a viral video of a singing neighborhood in Italy, confined people throughout the world have banded together to sing together and serenade one another from their balconies and windows. Message your neighbors, stick your head out and make some music! 

If you’ve ever wanted to study opera, now is your chance. Through edX, Ivy League schools have made hundreds of courses available for free online, including several about opera. Check out some options below! 

• Dartmouth: Introduction to Italian Opera 
• Dartmouth: Introduction to German Opera 
• Harvard: First Nights - Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and the Birth of Opera 
• Harvard: 18th-Century Opera: Handel & Mozart 
• Harvard: 19th-Century Opera: Meyerbeer, Wagner, & Verdi 

Think you’re a true opera fan? Opera Wire has numerous online quizzes to test everything from your knowledge of specific composers, singers, lyrics, history and more! Classic FM adds a twist: Is it an opera or a cheese? 

Embrace your inner diva or divo and take the figurative stage for yourself! Existing singers can use the time to perfect technique and learn new music. Beginners can search through numerous online classes that provide training and exercises. If you’re self-conscious and live alone, this is the perfect time to begin your journey to stardom, or at least improve your karaoke game!