Opera Boot Camp | Boston Lyric Opera (original) (raw)

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Opera Boot CampBrock Poirier2026-02-18T09:39:21-05:00

Opera Creation Boot Camp

A Professional Development Intensive for Educators

Summer 2026

Sessions Focus On:
Arts-Integrated Project-Based Learning ideal for collaborative teaching and learning
Differentiated Learning Strategies to adapt the curriculum to meet your teaching and learning goals
Social Emotional Learning outcomes addressed
STEAM Lessons in technical theater
Built-in Practicum: Practice teaching each day mentored by Master Teaching Artists

Empowering Educators to Create, Innovate, and Inspire Through Opera.

Open to ALL K-12 classroom teachers, pre-service teachers, arts specialists, & teaching artists. No arts experience needed, only a curiosity to create! Based on the Music! Words! Opera! national curriculum, BLO’s Opera Creation Boot Camp lets you dive deep into how to facilitate the opera creation process with your students, and learn new tools and techniques that support your existing teaching practice.

After invigorating morning sessions with Master Teaching Artists, educator-participants have the opportunity to apply their new skills immediately. Each afternoon, we will welcome a group of elementary-aged students in our Opera Kids! for a week-long creative opera project, providing a hands-on teaching experience for educators. Build an inclusive opera company in your classroom for dynamic arts-integrated project-based learning. No arts expertise necessary.
Registration and Materials Fee: $100 per educator
“Both Prilly and Joel gave me a new bag of tools for inspiring creativity in my students. I’ve found myself utilizing their techniques in other aspects of my teaching, beyond opera creation. They also stretched me as an artist. I loved the fact that my teacher-peers and I could work to create our own opera, while at the same time using our new-found skills with actual students each afternoon.”
-Teacher Participant

Lydia Jane Graeff

Master Teaching Artist

Lydia Jane Graeff | Master Teaching Artist

Lydia Jane Graeff | Master Teaching ArtistLydia Jane Graeff is a Resident Teaching Artist for Boston Lyric Opera. Her main duties include teaching opera creation and performance in classrooms, providing professional development for BPS teachers, and directing and performing in BLO’s annual Artist Classroom Visit production. Lydia collaborated with Joel Esher on developing and co-hosting BLO’s opera creation happy hour program, The Tonic Hour on zoom during 2021. Lydia’s full-time job is as the theatre teacher for BPS at Boston Adult Technical Academy, and she also serves as a year-round Teaching Artist and Director for Wellesley Theatre Project. In Boston, Lydia has worked as a Teaching Artist with Company One Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Lyric Stage Company, The Boch Center, Watertown Children’s Theatre, Somerville Arts for Youth, and Artbarn Community Theatre. Lydia holds an M.A. in Theatre Education from Emerson College.

Joel Esher

Master Teaching Artist

Joel Esher | Master Teaching Artist

Joel Esher | Master Teaching ArtistJoel Esher is a composer, lyricist and educator living in New York City. He is a resident teaching artist and music consultant for Trinity Wall Street, Dreamyard Project, and Little Orchestra Society, and has collaborated in this capacity with The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Disney Theatrical Group, Carnegie Hall, Muse Machine, and others. Writing Credits – Off-Broadway: music and additional lyrics, PharmaBro, an American Douchical! (Lauren Gundrum, book/lyrics; Players Theatre). Collaborating composer and additional lyrics, Folk Wandering (Jaclyn Backhaus, book/lyrics; Pipeline Theatre, 2018). Other musicals include Bagels from Benny and Sammy Spider, (Rebecca Schoffer, book/lyrics; 92Y) and his musical Superhots! with Blair Bodine is licensed through MTI as part of their 10-Minute Musical Anthology. He is the music supervisor of the Story Pirates and is a member of the BMI Musical Theatre Advanced Writing Program. He holds a B.M in Voice and Opera and Music Directing from Northwestern University. www.joeleshermusic.com

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