Voices, Sounds, Generations 2026–2027

The new educational programs proposed for the upcoming school year
by the Donizetti Theater Foundation for the younger generation

More than 20,000 young audience members were recorded last school year at the Donizetti Theater and the Teatro Sociale for the educational programs of the Donizetti Theater Foundation

And for the new school year, an even more diverse lineup featuring opera, theater, jazz, and history, with new opportunities for the public young and families, for a total of over fifty events

The Donizetti Theater Foundation presents its new program of “Voices, Sounds, Generations”, which includes educational programs designed for schools, teachers, families, and young people, created for the 2026–2027 school year around the festivals Donizetti Opera e Bergamo Jazz, to La Stagione dei Teatri and to Lezioni di Storia.

During thethe 2025–2026 school year, the initiative attracted over 20,000 visitors, proving to be a project that strengthens dialogue with the educational community and expands opportunities to engage with theater, music, and the performing arts through experiences tailored to different age groups and levels of depth.

It is precisely along these lines that the vision of theater as an educational tool serving teachers—the very audience for which Inside the Theater: Theater as a Tool for Peace—an educational initiative for teachers of today and tomorrow—which for the first time will take a cross-disciplinary approach to both spoken drama and opera. Furthermore, this edition unfolds Over two days, October 16 and 17, at the Donizetti Theater, in collaboration with the Local School District Office and the University of Bergamo. This is a concrete opportunity for cultural and educational enrichment through meetings, workshops, and immersive experiences, which will provide tools, content, and methodologies to bring into the classroom to guide students not only in discovering theater but also in reflecting on contemporary issues that society faces in everyday life. Music, opera, drama, and hands-on workshops intertwine in a program that centers theater as a space for connection, listening, and participation—one capable of fostering dialogue, respect, and peace.

The Program “Voices, Sounds, Generations” returns for the 2026–2027 school year with a structure organized by target audience—preschools, elementary schools, high schools, young people, teachers, and families—and four main areas of activity: Donizetti Education, Il Cantiere del Teatro, History Lessons, and Let’s Meet Jazz, along with the following offerings Young, aimed at those under 30 and young adults under 40, and Family programs, designed to let you experience the theater with your parents, relatives, and friends.

Created thanks to the initiative The Youth Club by Fondazione Cariplo, which aims to encourage the younger generation to engage with the performing arts. The program was specifically designed to help educators, young people, and families navigate the wide range of educational and training opportunities offered by the Fondazione Teatro Donizetti.

The activities begin as early as October, as part of the Donizetti Opera 2026, and are organized into the following projects: Donizetti Education—interactive performances, workshops, guided tours, talks, and previews designed for every age group and grade level—and Opera Family, a series of events for families. The school year ends in late May with the Donizetti Academy, a project that combines art, theater, and industrial culture to foster informed and creative citizens, in collaboration with the Dalmine ETS Foundation.

In line with the seasonal schedule of the Donizetti Theater Foundation, projects by Il Cantiere del Teatro, linked to the Drama Season and “Altri Percorsi”: classroom visits, in-depth study programs, and discounted admission to featured performances, all addressing major contemporary issues—such as the environment, active citizenship, peace, identity, memory, and critical thinking—as they relate to the lived experiences of teenagers.

Also in December, the sessions for History Lessons series, titled East and West, in collaboration with Editori Laterza, which this year encourage reflection on points of contact, conflicts, cross-pollination, and mutual influences between Eastern and Western cultures.

The events will continue through March, when they’ll hand the baton over to projects designed for schools in Let’s Meet Jazz. The collaboration between Bergamo Jazz and CDpM presents two concert-lectures: Everyone Wants to Play Jazz for elementary schools, featuring a gospel choir, a marching band, and interactive segments set to the tunes of classic animated films, and *Kind of Blue*, an in-depth exploration and reinterpretation of the genre’s seminal work by Miles Davis.

The section Young will take on an even more central role in 2026–2027, with programs aimed both at young people stepping into the theater for the first time and at those who want to experience it not only as spectators but also as participants and potential future professionals.

The educational offering is rounded out by the following Familyprogram, where the theater becomes a space for adults and children to share through performances, workshops, tours, and social gatherings.

Comment Sergio Gandi, Councilor for Culture of the City of Bergamo: “The educational program of the Donizetti Theater Foundation immediately conveys, at a glance, the exceptional richness of our theater’s programming, organically encompassing its main pillars: opera, drama, and jazz, along with history. This high-value program appeals to a wide range of audiences, further strengthening our relationship with the city and the local community: not only children, families, students, and teachers, but with a specific focus on young people under 30. The goal is to ensure that the theater becomes a vibrant, open, and engaging space, capable of inspiring people of all ages to visit and make our theaters a part of their lives. Educating people in the performing arts means investing both in today’s citizens and in those who will become active citizens tomorrow, reminding us that culture knows no age and that an appreciation for it is cultivated from an early age.”

Giorgio Berta, President of the Donizetti Theater Foundation, says he is “proud that the Donizetti Theater Foundation is presenting such a rich program for ‘Voices, Sounds, Generations” “2026–2027.” In recent years, our dialogue with the education community has grown stronger and broader, allowing us to develop increasingly comprehensive, inclusive programs that meet the educational needs of the younger generations. The thousands of attendees recorded during the past school year attest to the vitality of an initiative that continues to grow thanks to the teachers and schools—whom we thank for the trust and attention they’ve shown toward our program—and to the students’ boundless energy. It is wonderful to see the students’ curiosity grow, the teachers’ engagement deepen, and the shared conviction that theater, opera, and music are fundamental tools for the development of individuals and communities.”

“Educational services,” continues Massimo Boffelli, General Director of the Donizetti Theater Foundation, continues – These are now among the most significant activities of the Donizetti Theater Foundation and one of the main ways we foster our relationship with the local community. We believe that engaging with the performing arts should be a vibrant experience, capable of stimulating creativity, critical thinking, active listening, and participation. That is why we continue to design programs that put young people at the center, offering them opportunities for growth through the universal language of theater and music. Our goal remains to make the Donizetti Theater and the Teatro Sociale increasingly open, welcoming, and inclusive spaces: places to be experienced, not just visited, where everyone can feel part of a community, express their talents, and build new relationships.”

Riccardo Frizza, Artistic and Musical Director of Donizetti Opera, states: “In the Donizetti Education and Opera Family program, the theater itself takes center stage—a fascinating machine made up of emotions, dreams, and professionalism, where talent and passion intertwine, even amid the unexpected and a touch of irony, just as happens in Donizetti’s opera The Conveniences and Inconveniences of the Theater” on the program for the 2026 festival. “The music of Gaetano Donizetti continues to serve as our guiding light for all the proposed activities.”

Michela Mannari, head and coordinator of the Donizetti Education program, adds: “For us, this isn’t just a calendar of events, but an invitation to experience theater and opera as places of growth, discovery, and imagination. Through performances, tours, and workshops that reveal what happens behind the scenes, we want to offer children and young people engaging experiences that can inspire their everyday lives and help each person imagine their own future.”

Maria Grazia Panigada, Artistic Director of the Prosa Season and Altri Percorsi and manager of related projects, explains: “At the heart of our educational projects lies the central role of theater as a space for discussion and reflection on the major themes that shape our lives. We believe it is the duty of a civic theater like ours to promote education and active participation, with the aim of fostering, through the experience of the performing arts, a shift toward a greater capacity to listen and to look inward at ourselves and outward at others.”

In conclusion Joe Lovano, Artistic Director of the Bergamo Jazz Festival: “Teaching jazz means encouraging students to develop their own inner voice, embracing their personality, and expressing themselves freely through music. Equally important is listening, the ear training “and an understanding of the elements of music. Our projects are moving in this direction, thanks in part to the universal message that jazz music conveys in a way that everyone can understand.”