The Opera Insights Series is a series of free lectures for the community by San Diego's opera scholars, with enlightening and entertaining presentations that focus on productions in San Diego Opera's upcoming season and more. This signature program began more than six decades ago at the Central Library and celebrates its 65th season in 2020-21.
We regret that we are unable to share live lectures with our patrons. We look forward to scheduling new programs in 2021. Until then, please enjoy these videos of lectures created by San Diego Opera for previous productions of La Bohème, All is Calm, and The Barber of Seville. These lectures are a great way to learn about an opera for the first time, or to preview before attending the SD Opera production.
San Diego Opera's 2020-21 Season
Composed by Giacomo Puccini (from UCSD-TV’s website)
Image courtesy of San Diego Opera
A preview of SD Opera’s 2018 production (from the KPBS website)
Image courtesy of San Diego Opera
Composed by Gioachino Rossini (from UCSD-TV’s website)
Image courtesy of San Diego Opera
If you would like opera CDs, DVDs, libretti, or scores, please visit SDPL’s
online catalog to search and place holds for pick-up, or give us a call Monday-Saturday 9:30-5:30 (619-236-5800) and we’ll help you find what you need.
SDPL staff have compiled a list of items in our collection for the SD Opera’s 2020-21 season, and you can view that list and place holds
here.
We are honored to have strong partnerships with arts and education organizations in our community, and thanks to our collaborations with San Diego Opera and UC San Diego, we have recordings of four of our Opera Insights Series programs from 2016-2019. Please see below for programs filmed by UCSD-TV in our Neil Morgan Auditorium.
The Central Park Five with Composer Anthony Davis
Recorded on December 7, 2019
Presented by UC San Diego Extension in partnership with the Opera Insights Series.
Double Verdi (La Traviata and Falstaff)
Opera Insights Series/San Diego OperaTalk, recorded on January 6, 2017
David T. Little's Soldier Songs
Opera Insights Series/San Diego OperaTalk, recorded on October 4, 2016
Puccini X 2 (Madama Butterfly and Tosca)
Opera Insights Series/San Diego OperaTalk, recorded on February 5, 2016
About the Lecturers
Composer, pianist, arts educator, and Principal San Diego Opera Lecturer
Dr. Nicolas Reveles is widely known throughout Southern California, introducing countless numbers of people to this lively art form.
About the Opera Insights Series
The Opera Insights Series prepares opera goers with enjoyable, informative, and engaging sessions about productions in San Diego Opera’s current season. The lectures will be held at the San Diego Central Library in the Neil Morgan Auditorium, located at 330 Park Boulevard, in downtown San Diego.
For more information about the lectures, call the Central Library at 619-236-5800 or visit the Library’s website. For more information about the productions and other San Diego Opera outreach activities, visit the San Diego Opera’s website.
Composer, pianist, arts educator, and Principal San Diego Opera Lecturer Dr. Nicolas Reveles is widely known throughout Southern California, introducing countless numbers of people to this lively art form.