Enriching our communities by promoting
The Erwin H. Johnson
Memorial Fund, Inc. for Opera
and supporting Opera from WNY to Toronto
Outreach Initiatives
Please keep scrolling to see all of our Opera Advocacy Offerings!
Our award-winning Outreach Program continues to expand, enhancing our community
with entertaining and educational projects. These include: music appreciation, history,
and sciences classes for adults and children; two opera coloring books;
an award-winning opera art exhibit, and our widely successful
regional music festival, Opera-Tober.
Singing it Forward
In addition to the concerts we offer to the public, our Singing It Forward outreach program has been expanded due to request and popularity. This year, our board member Danielle
Di Stefano, soprano, has added 16 new Zoom music appreciation classes for opera and music history for adults, that include slide presentations, multi-media clips, singing, interactive activities, and demonstrations of rudimentary operatic techniques.
They are virtually taught at adult living/centers, schools, and venues throughout WNY.
If your facility, school or organization is interested in details about
having a Singing It Forward class presented, please contact
ehjfund@gmail.com or call 716-992-9264
Kiki the Kitten &the Tiny Squeak
Our 2025 Outreach initiative for children is
Kiki the Kitten and the Tiny Squeak, written and illustrated by soprano and Artistic Director of EHJ, Danielle Di Stefano. It’s a fun and creative way to give children a peek into the amazing world of Opera and Classical music, and a perfect complement to Opera outreach programs, schools, libraries, and musical organizations.
Created to enjoy as an activity-coloring book or storybook, this initiative includes a live Zoom interactive class for children 5 and up. The month of July focused on underserved communities with free Kiki coloring books, crayons, and a live Zoom, to embrace everyone. Science proves early exposure to Classical music during childhood can have a significant positive impact on brain development, enhancing relaxation, cognitive and mathematical abilities, improving language skills and much, much more.
Email ehjfund@gmail.com or Call 716-992-9264
to schedule a Kiki Outreach Session for your group or organization!
Click Here to purchase the book
Color Me Opera
Color Me Opera is an educational opera coloring book created to entertain, educate and utilize a fresh approach for opera advocacy.
Join Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, and more to experience a timeless artform still beloved worldwide. You’ll find newly enhanced artwork of historically accurate costumes, decorations and mini narratives.
A playlist of instrumental arias with brief explanations is also included, for a fun, interactive experience in one little package.
Click Here to purchase the book
The Art of Opera
“The Art of Opera” created by Artistic Director Danielle Di Stefano, soprano, is an
award-winning multimedia art exhibit, based on hand-chosen, professionally hand-painted illustrations from Color Me Opera. Featuring 10 enlarged posters of characters and settings from beloved operas. They are adorned in historically accurate attire, decorations, and furnishings showcasing essentially what would have been seen
in real life.
Mini-narratives and a docent-style video about each opera accompany the pieces, providing unique insights into the works featured. The exhibit is offered in-person and/or virtually, according to venue.
We are pleased to announce that "The Art of Opera" earned Opera Volunteers International's Project of Special Merit award for opera education and advocacy.
Opera-Tober and World Opera Day
The Erwin H. Johnson Memorial Fund, Inc. for Opera, are the coordinators/promoters of World Opera Day and Opera-Tober 2024 in Buffalo/Niagara and are proud to have received numerous proclamations from local and state government officials over the years. These proclamations have been recognized at our Fall Celebrate Opera Concert every year.
The Erwin H. Johnson Memorial Fund, Inc. for Opera, promoters of Celebrate
World Opera Day and Opera-Tober 2024 in Buffalo/Niagara, has been cited
nationally as an example of success from Opera America and
Opera Volunteers International.
To keep you updated on all of the amazing events offered during Opera-Tober and Celebrate World Opera Day, we created a special website-
www.celebrateoperawny.org
and Facebook page, (please stop by and Like our page)
www.facebook.com/CelebrateOperaWeekWny
Last year, 2024, was another grand success, with numerous praises
from audiences throughout.
We thank you in advance for being visionaries with us by your support of our mission;
your generosity is greatly appreciated.
For your convenience, we are pleased to offer a secure Paypal donation button.
Please click below to donate.