
Opera Praktikos
New York City’s First Disability-Affirmative
Opera Company
Image description: An urban garden with an open air wood stage. Performers line the stage in the final moments of the production Orlando: Hero of Love. Photo by Kyabell Glass.
Making Opera Accessible
Opera Praktikos, established in 2021, is New York City's pioneering disability-affirmative opera company. Our mission is to make opera accessible for audiences and artists alike. We achieve this by crafting exceptional performances that serve the work while transcending traditional barriers to the operatic art form, including class, economic status, and physical challenges.
Our commitment to diversity is evident in every aspect of our work. We embrace and celebrate the rich tapestry of backgrounds and abilities among our communities, artists, production teams, and board members. Through deliberate reinterpretations of classical operas and the commissioning of new works, we aim to ensure that our artists and audience members can readily identify with the stories and lived experiences of People with Disabilities being portrayed on our stage.
At OPrak, we believe opera has the power to honor differences. We are dedicated to breaking down stereotypes about disability and fostering an inclusive and accessible opera community in the heart of New York City.
Photo credit: Dan Wright Photography
There Will Be
Cake!
A sweet, site-specific musical drama pairing two mono-operas about memory and food, featuring words of wisdom from Julia Child herself! One short opera bakes us a chocolate cake, the other spreads joy! Mixed together, these mono-operas make for one hour of a delicious and joy-filled community event…and yes, there WILL be cake!
Opera Praktikos, Inc received operating support from OPERA America’s NYC Opera Grant: Supporting Small-Business Organizations, supported by the Howard Gilman Foundation.
Photo credit: Dan Wright Photography
Orlando:
Hero of Love
Our first production, in collaboration and partnership with Opera Essentia is a 75-minute, one act distillation of Handel's Baroque masterpiece. Orlando: Hero of Love asks eternal questions: What is Love? Who is a Hero? Where do our journeys lead?
Photo credit: Kyabell Glass
Opera Praktikos is a 501c3 registered tax-exempt nonprofit organization.
Federal Tax ID: #88-3044485