Teaching Artist

Chicago Opera Theater (COT) seeks passionate Teaching Artists to join our Education team for Opera for All, our Chicago Public Schools residency program.

As a Teaching Artist with COT, you will play a vital role in inspiring and educating students across Chicago Public Schools. Working closely with classroom teachers, you will deliver a yearlong residency that introduces students to the many elements of opera—including vocal music, visual art, acting, movement, creative writing, and performance. Teaching Artists help students develop artistic skills, explore the collaborative art of opera, and guide them in creating their own original operatic works.

The residency culminates in a final performance, where students present their original operas for classmates, teachers, and family members.

Note:

While prior opera experience is certainly beneficial, we recognize that talented educators and performers come from a variety of musical backgrounds. If you have strong vocal performance skills, a solid foundation in music, an interest in opera, and a demonstrated ability to learn new skills, we are committed to providing the training and support needed to help you succeed as a COT Teaching Artist.

Responsibilities include:

• Collaborate with the Director of Education and Community Engagement to plan and facilitate innovative classes based on COT's Opera for All curriculum
• Work with COT staff and CPS staff to plan and execute the program
• Teach consistent weekly lessons at CPS Partner Schools
• Collaborate with students to write an original libretto for each class
• Collaborate with Guest Composers and Guest Artists on program delivery
• Teach vocal technique, musicianship skills and the process of mounting an opera
• Develop students' ability to think critically, build individual and team competencies, turn theory into practice through experiential learning, and engage in the arts through multiple modalities (singing, movement, reading, writing, etc.)
• Prepare students for their own operas by teaching music and directing scenes

This position is a good fit for someone who has:

• A knowledge of and passion for opera, music, theater, and the performing arts
• An excitement for arts education and working with children
• Exceptional organizational skills
• Ability to multi-task
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, and anti-racist and anti-oppressive values
• The ability to teach in both Spanish and English (highly desirable, but not required).

Chicago Opera Theater is willing to teach:

• The Opera for All Curriculum
• Best practices for collaboration with CPS Partner Teachers and staff
• Basic teaching and classroom management skills
• Policies and procedures specific to COT and Opera for All

Residency Dates:
Teaching artist residency runs from mid-September 2026 through May 2027 during daytime school hours. Curriculum development and planning sessions begin in August 2026.

Chicago Opera Theater's (COT) mission is to enrich the lives of those who live, work and play in Chicago by bringing rarely produced and contemporary operas to life, supporting gifted emerging artists, and providing hands-on experiences with opera that entertain, empower creativity, and cultivate a lasting and meaningful connection to the arts. Since its founding in 1973 by Alan Stone, COT has grown into a national leader in the opera field, staging more than 170 operas, including 92 Chicago premieres, 12 world premieres, and 51 operas by American composers.

At Chicago Opera Theater, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it.

COT is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and to provide employees with a work environment of mutual respect, free of discrimination and harassment.

All employment decisions at COT are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the law.

We encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, People of Color, women, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and all others who may contribute to the diversification of ideas at COT.