Mindful Warrior Project
Do you remember your first experience seeing live opera? (It’s hard to forget.) The opulence of the opera house. The vibration of the singers’ powerful voices in the air. The larger than life staging. They all add up to something truly magical.
And thanks to Community Circle, we’re sharing this magic with Angelenos from all walks of life.
This program provides underserved children, students, seniors, and other community members an opportunity to experience world-class opera for little-to-no cost. And it’s funded by donations from opera lovers like you.
The Mindful Warrior Project, one of our Community Circle participants, is an organization that focuses on mental health support for veterans. Attending the opera helps their members access the healing power of the arts and music. Many Mindful Warrior Project members are pushed out of their comfort zone by opera and it's a good thing. As one participant told us: “I would never have tried this on my own. I isolate and keep to myself and can’t handle too much of crowds. And opera was never my kind of music. Or at least I didn’t think it was. This afternoon changed so many things for me.”
It goes far beyond what happens onstage—even just connecting with opera lovers at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion can help participants feel connected to their community. One participant notes how “attending the opera has help[ed] me with my local social connections and community involvement as a Veteran. I so look forward to many more in the future. I am a great lover of the Arts. This [is] very therapeutic for me.”
The joy and beauty of opera, the connections with others—these things help some through uneasy times. One participant recalls: “I almost [wasn’t] able to make it to [the performance] because of being in a very deep blue funk the past four days… I am so happy I decided to go and allow the opera to lift my spirits up… The music, staging, acting, and the performance overall was beyond expectations.”
We're deeply grateful to be able to share the art form we love with our community in Los Angeles.
If you want to help bring the magic and healing of opera to more people (why wouldn’t you?), there’s no better way than by giving to LA Opera. We’re a nonprofit and ticket sales make up less than half of our budget. Your support helps us make up the difference.
