California Free Opera

California is amazingly opera-friendly, offering quite a few free opera presentations and concerts designed to educate and involve the public. The majority of California's population isn't particularly familiar with the rich tapestry of thousands of operas that exist, spanning several centuries. 

A California grade school teacher was apprehensive about taking her 6th graders to an opera presentation and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the youth actually were more receptive than adults. While opera story lines tend to involve adult themes, the fact that they are presented in their original languages oftentimes means the English speaking audience does not understand what's being sung. When heading to an opera be sure to look up the opera's story and you'll get a lot more out of the show.

DAVIS: Rising Stars of Opera
Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts  UC Davis
Davis, CA
mondaviarts.org
Because the tickets are free, each year students and community members who otherwise might not attend an opera-related performance give the music a try,
perhaps because they have a friend or roommate playing in the orchestra, or perhaps because they're just curious. And many of these casual attendees  discover that opera can be a lot of fun.

ORINDA: Solo Opera
Orinda Community Park
28 Orinda Way, Orinda, California 
SoloOpera.org
A free presentation in association with the City of Orinda

PALM SPRINGS: Opera in the Park
Sunrise Park
Palm Springs
palmspringsoperaguild.org
Open to the public, free annual event in the Spring when the weather in Palm Springs is perfect.

SAN DIEGO: Opera on the Concours
Return of the free presentations (usually in the Spring) to promote San Diego Opera season. sdopera.com

SAN JOSE: Opera in Bramhall Park
Annual free concert in the park (usually July) as well as a free presentation at Sunnyvale Library.
operasj.org

SAN FRANCISCO: Free Opera at the Ball Park
AT&T Park
Annual free opera event packs in thousands of fans!
sfopera.com

SAN FRANCISCO: Free Opera in the Park
Sharon Meadow
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA
sfopera.com/park
San Francisco Opera usually presents a free show in Golden Gate Park annually.

SAN RAMON: Festival Opera and the City of San Ramon   Summer Concerts
Central Park
Bollinger Canyon Road at Alcosta Blvd.
San Ramon, CA
sanramon.ca.gov or festivalopera.org
Opera in the Park went on the road in 2016, appearing in San Ramon.