Portland Opera to Go

For more than 20 years, Portland Opera to Go (nicknamed POGO) has shared opera experiences with communities around the region.

*Students attend a POGO performance of* The Barber of Seville | Photo by Garrick Antikajian

Ty Chiko as Edward Cannady and Naomi Steele as Beatrice Morrow Cannady in *Beatrice* | Photo by Chris Kim

*Shenanigans in* The Barber of Seville | Photo by Garrick Antikajian

*Students enjoying operatic adventures* | Photo courtesy of Portland Opera

*Careful! A witch! POGO shares* Hansel and Gretel | Photo by Jonathan Ley

*The bohemians of* La Boheme | Photo by Garrick Antikajian

*Students soak in* The Magic Flute | Photo courtesy of Portland Opera

*Jorge-Phillipe Belonni Rosario as Figaro in* The Barber of Seville | Photo by Garrick Antikajian

The Crown Maker for Fall/Winter 2026

This fall, Portland Opera to Go will present The Crown Maker, composed by Jesse J. Sanchez with a libretto by Maya Malán-González. The third installment in the “Our Oregon” series, this world premiere opera celebrates the vision and cultural impact of Eva Castellanoz, Mexican American healer, artist, and advocate
for immigrant rights.

Eva Castellanoz worked the fields alongside her parents after immigrating from Mexico—but that was before she discovered her true calling. She was a crown-maker. Through her heritage and artistry, she became a healer, binding the hearts of her community while surviving heartbreak of her own.

The Crown Maker centers the ordinary extraordinary life of Eva Castellanoz, campesina, wife, mother, cultura guardian, artist, and curandera. Eva’s life is full of everyday magic—from her childhood working in the fields of Texas to marriage and motherhood in Nyssa, Oregon. Eva creates a life that is full of art, community, and healing. Her work binds her community together and reaches beyond it, embodying the saying, “Love in action.” As one of the characters in the opera says, “She’s pura magica.”

(Check back in the fall for updated calendar listings of the Portland Opera to Go appearances across Oregon)

Explore this production here

Our Oregon

Our multi-year project commissions original operas highlighting the experiences of Oregonians, representing African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, Native American, and Latinx communities. All will be developed with K-12 schools and communities in mind and toured throughout the state and region in subsequent years.

In 2022 we premiered the first opera in this program, entitled Beatrice, by composer Dave Ragland librettist Mary McCallum. This 50-minute opera, intended for middle grade audiences, shares a biographical story of civil rights activist Beatrice Morrow Cannady.

In 2024 we premiered the second opera in this program, Shizue: An American Story, composed by Kenji Oh with a libretto by Dmae Lo Roberts. This new piece illuminates the life of the remarkable poet and artist Shizue Iwatsuki.

In 2026 we will premiere The Crown Maker, the third installment in the “Our Oregon” series. This world premiere opera, composed by Jesse J. Sanchez with a libretto by Maya Malán-González, celebrates the vision and cultural impact of Eva Castellanoz, Mexican American healer, artist, and advocate for immigrant rights.

Distance Learning: Opera Elements

In response to the pandemic, Portland Opera partnered with Portland Public Schools and Gresham-Barlow School District to create Opera Elements, a series of 3 virtual lesson plans and activities for students. Made up of both synchronous and asynchronous activities, these lesson plans focus on 3 main topics: the voice, the building blocks of opera, and composing.

Access Opera Elements here!

Students have the opportunity to learn more about the different voice types with the Portland Opera Resident Artists and Associate Director of Education Outreach, Alexis Hamilton, create their own arias, and learn more about composing from Portland Opera’s Music Director and Composer, Damien Geter.

How do you POGO?

Each year, the Portland Opera to Go company performs 50-minute versions of operas for students. These are sung in English, or English and Spanish as bilingual productions. Some favorite past productions have been Cinderella, The Magic Flute, Hansel and Gretel, The Barber of Seville, La Bohème, and Shizue: An American Story, the second original commission of the Our Oregon series. The company travels over 5,000 miles throughout Oregon and southern Washington to spark the imaginations of students, educators, and teachers. So far, more than 275,000+ people have engaged with Portland Opera to Go.

“The children loved it. It never ceases to amaze me how well the children engage... And it does my heart good to see [them] enjoy it so much. By allowing the children to interact, you give them a voice”
- An educator from Ontario, Oregon

Performances happen in school gyms, libraries, cafeterias, classrooms, and community centers—all with full costumes and portable scenery. Integrated in-class workshops are available as part of the POGO experience, as well as teacher guides highlighting curricular connections aligned with state standards.

We believe that the arts are an essential part of every student's development. Our program focuses on schools with economic and geographic barriers to accessing performing arts experiences. Over 50% of schools visited are Title I schools in rural communities. We've shared POGO performances in Oregon and Washington—as well as parts of California, and Idaho.

Can I see POGO with my family, rather than at school?

Every year, we share three public performances of our Portland Opera to Go touring production here in Portland. These performances are family-friendly and accessible with live audio description and American Sign Language interpreters at select performances.

Can I share POGO with my school or community?

We would love to share the magic of opera with you! If you are an educator interested in bringing Portland Opera to Go or Opera Elements to your students, please contact Alexis Hamilton, Portland Opera’s Associate Director of Education Outreach by emailing ahamilton@portlandopera.org.

Alexis Hamilton

Associate Director of Education Outreach

Support this program. Make a gift today.

POGO Champions

Portland Opera to Go is generously supported by the BNSF Foundation, Drew & Sue Snyder, PGE Foundation, Reser Family Foundation, Rose E. Tucker Trust, Roundhouse Foundation, RW Naito Foundation, The Standard, John & Carol Steele, with additional support from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, Regional Arts & Culture Council, and the Arts Education & Access Fund.

With additional support from:

Portland Opera is grateful for the ongoing philanthropic support from our individual patrons and generous donors, James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, Marie Lamfrom Charitable Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Community Foundation, Regional Arts and Culture Council, including support from the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and the Arts Education & Access Fund.