Our Mission
The UC Merced Children's Opera provides children in the San Joaquin Valley with high-impact and interactive arts experiences that introduce them to performing arts and UC Merced. Our performances are welcoming and empowering so that students feel comfortable with and excited by the idea of attending university themselves.
The Opera
Each year, the Children's Opera, under the direction of UC Merced lecturer Jenni Samuelson, brings to life a new opera written by playwright Nancy Steele Brokaw. Children from Merced County and beyond come to UC Merced to participate in the opera which is performed by a rotating cast of professional actors and singers as well as UC Merced students. In its twelfth year, the Children's Opera delighted over 19,000 school-age children with our first-ever all virtual opera experience Save the Dragons! Next year, we will be back performing on the UC Merced campus with "How To Be a Superhero" which will be available virtually and free to all Central Valley schools.
