Art Sings Educator Workshop

Art Sings! is an immersive, professional development half-day workshop for educators, created by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the Kemper Art Museum and led by nationally recognized composer and trainer Neil Ginsberg.

Designed for K–12 teachers across disciplines, the program brings visual art, music, and storytelling into dynamic conversation, modeling creative strategies educators can immediately apply in their classrooms. Participants engage directly with artworks in the Museum’s permanent collection galleries to explore how opera and visual art use shared elements—character, emotion, narrative, and design—to communicate powerful ideas.

The hands-on activities, guided discussion, and lesson-planning support offered through Art Sings empower teachers to spark student curiosity, deepen critical thinking, and make curricular connections across arts and social sciences. The workshop emphasizes accessible, student-centered approaches that foster observation, interpretation, and self-expression. Workshop participants are also invited to attend a live Opera Theatre of Saint Louis dress rehearsal of Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet at the Loretto-Hilton Theater in Webster Groves.

This event is offered in partnership with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.

About the Facilitator:

Neil Ginsberg is a New Jersey–based music educator, teaching artist, and composer. He leads workshops that empower teachers and students to create original musical theater and opera, emphasizing collaboration, creativity, and cross-curricular learning. Neil has taught workshops using the Music! Words! Opera! Curriculum, created by the National Endowment for the Arts and OPERA America, at companies across the country, including Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, The Atlanta Opera, Fargo-Moorhead Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera.

Neil has also facilitated teacher workshops and professional development for the New York City Department of Education, the St. Louis School District, the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA), Long Island University, and Central Connecticut State University’s Summer Music Institute. He has led musical adaptation workshops for ISTA’s International Baccalaureate Theatre program, supporting educators integrating music and theater into interdisciplinary learning.

Currently, Neil teaches music at Kent Place School. Previously, he developed music programs at Avenues: The World School in New York, Essex Street Academy High School, and Harlem Day Charter School. He spent eight years teaching music and drama at Brooklyn Friends School, where he served as co-chair of the Performing Arts Department. Neil’s teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that all children have the potential to be creative and musical. His classrooms provide a safe, supportive environment in which students are encouraged to explore, collaborate, and develop their musicianship.

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Host or Publisher Kemper Art Museum at WashU