IN THE COMMUNITY
We believe opera is for everyone.
Opera About Town
Opera About Town brings North Carolina Opera’s singers out into the community for free, casual performances around the Triangle. These short concerts invite audiences to experience live opera in a relaxed and welcoming setting.
Check back for updates!
Tasting Notes
Tasting Notes is a curated series of immersive social events that pair a non-opera activity with the world of opera, bringing people together around shared experiences. Each gathering offers a relaxed, engaging way to explore the culture, stories, and ideas behind our productions beyond the theater.
TASTING NOTES
Carmen – Introductory Flamenco Workshop with Flamenco Carolina
CARMEN in Motion
Step into the passionate world of Carmen through the rhythm, movement, and spirit of flamenco!
Join North Carolina Opera and Flamenco Carolina for a lively, hands-on “Tasting Notes” experience inspired by one of opera’s most iconic works. Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or have never tried flamenco before, this welcoming workshop invites you to experience Carmen in a whole new way.
Sunday, September 27, 2027
1:00-3:00PM
Barriskill Dance Theatre School, 3642 Shannon Road, Durham, NC 27707
🎫 $35 per person
Explore the rhythms, movements, and expressive style of flamenco, then learn flamenco-inspired choreography set to CARMEN’s instantly recognizable “Habanera.” We’ll finish the afternoon with a festive Rumba party dance set to music by the Gipsy Kings.
Along the way, you’ll discover how movement, rhythm, and dramatic expression can bring us closer to the passion and personality at the heart of Carmen.
What to expect:
💃🏻 Explore flamenco rhythm, movement, and expression
🌹 Learn flamenco-inspired choreography to the famous “Habanera” from CARMEN
🎉 Learn a lively Rumba party dance
🎶 Discover connections between dance, music, and the dramatic world of CARMEN
✨ No prior dance experience necessary
🙌 All ages and experience levels welcome
Come dressed for the fiesta! Flamenco-inspired attire is encouraged but absolutely not required. Think colorful dresses, ruffled skirts, flowers, fans, or anything that makes you feel ready to dance.
>>Flamenco is a solo dance. No partner required.
Experience Carmen beyond the stage and get a taste of the passion, rhythm, and flair that make its world so unforgettable. ¡Olé!
Masterclasses
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Lectures and Discussions
An Evening with Denyce Graves
Spend an intimate evening with legendary mezzo-soprano and acclaimed director Denyce Graves while she’s in Raleigh directing North Carolina Opera’s production of Carmen. Enjoy Spanish-inspired cocktails and light bites before an engaging conversation about her extraordinary career, her iconic history with the role of Carmen, and her vision for bringing this beloved opera to life from the director’s chair.
Thursday, October 1 6:00PM
📍 The Chancellor’s Room at the Park Alumni Center, NC State University
🎫 $75 per person Get Tickets
Seduction and the Body in Carmen | Pre-show talk by Marcus Pyle, Ph.D.
Carmen is a master of seduction, using dance and song to entice the men around her, but within the opera there’s also an underlying commentary about women’s agency, empire, and race. This pre-show talk provides insight into the history of Carmen and the generation of dangerous women it helped birth.
Friday, October 16 Prior to the 7:30PM show (exact time and location TBA)
💥 FREE for all Friday evening ticket holders
2025/2026 SEASON
BASTILLE & BRAVO
Celebrate Bastille Day with North Carolina Opera and The Durham Hotel, in partnership with Glasshouse Kitchen. Get ready for NC Opera’s season opener, Cendrillon, with an all-French program of popular arias and duets performed live in The Durham’s mid-century modern Coffee Bar. This relaxed cocktail-hour-style event brings together the sounds and flavors of France for a one-of-a-kind summer evening. Monday, July 14, 2025 5-7PM The Durham Hotel, Durham, NC
TASTING NOTES
Madama Butterfly – Sake Tasting with Vitis House
Discover the World of Sake: A Journey Through Japan’s Traditional Brew
North Carolina Opera invites you to Discover the World of Sake with a guided tasting experience inspired by Madama Butterfly.
Led by the experts at Vitis House, this interactive class introduces the history and craft of sake. From the mystical origins of sake brewing to the modern-day techniques that shape its diverse varieties, you’ll unravel the secrets behind this revered Japanese beverage. Guests will sample a curated selection of premium sakes while learning how to taste with confidence, and how sake pairs with food and culture. Thursday, January 15, 2026 6:30 – 8:00PM The Loading Dock, Raleigh
OPERA ABOUT TOWN Friday, January 16, 2026 6:00PM Hayes Barton Place
LECTURE
Francesca Zambello: Wagner and Puccini: What Do They Share?
Lecture hosted by Triangle Wagner Society Sunday, January 25, 2026 2:00PM The Forest at Duke
🎫 $20 through Triangle Wagner Society
MASTERCLASS
Francesca Zambello: An immersive masterclass with members of the Duke Opera Theater
Masterclass co-hosted with Duke University Department of Music Monday, January 26, 2026 11:00AM-12:30PM Biddle Music Building 19, Bone Hall
🔗 More Info
💥 Free and open to the public. All are welcome.
OPERA ABOUT TOWN Tuesday, March 24, 2026 6:00PM Governor’s Club, Chapel Hill
TASTING NOTES
Il Trovatore – Metalworking class with ShopSpace
The Anvil Chorus: Intro to Forging and Welding
Join us for a special extended evening of hands-on metalworking in partnership with ShopSpace, inspired by our April production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore. In this 2.5 hour experience, participants will split into two small groups and rotate between forging and welding, beginning with a safety and tool introduction before diving in. At the forge, you’ll use a propane forge, hammer, and anvil to create a wall hook while learning essential techniques like tapering, bending, stance, hammer control, and heat management. In the welding booths, you’ll get one on one time with a MIG welder to practice basic welds and learn proper setup in a real metal shop environment.
Il Trovatore is famous for its electrifying “Anvil Chorus,” where blacksmiths hammer in rhythm as sparks fly. This class brings that energy off the stage and into the shop, connecting Verdi’s fiery music to the real craft of shaping and fusing steel. This is an introductory class designed to cater to all skill and comfort levels.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 6:00 – 8:30PM ShopSpace, Raleigh
LECTURE
Dr. Naomi André: Surviving Opera – Verdi’s Azucena from Il Trovatore
What is behind Verdi’s Azucena in Il Trovatore? Let’s explore how Verdi shaped her from letters to the primary librettist—Salvadore Cammarano and others—as he was composing the opera. We learn that Verdi originally thought of her as the leading female character and the role he said he wished he could sing.
Friday, April 17, 2026 6:30PM Carolina Room, downstairs from Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
💥 Free and open to all Friday night ticketholders.
