Opera Omaha selected 13 poems for the 2023-24 Poetry & Music Project. These original poems, written by Nebraska and Iowa students grades K through 12, were set to music by professional composers Sidney Marquez Boquiren and Amber Vistein and will be performed by Opera Omaha artists.

Now in its 7th year, the Poetry & Music Project connects student poets and their words with composers to create original music and explore the connections between poetry and music. The statewide program, run in partnership with the Nebraska Writers Collective, seeks to amplify the voices of youth poets, both urban and rural, across Nebraska and Iowa. Opera Omaha has built a coalition of educators and music professionals in order to further promote the profound effect that artistic endeavors can have in the formative years of young imaginations.

Click here for more information, or for free in-person tickets or registration for the live stream.

The selected poems include:
“A Rainy Day… Time Flies…” by Marty Minor, Lewis and Clark Middle School (Omaha), 7th Grade

“Friends” by Sylvia Kastl, Norfolk Catholic (Norfolk), 5th Grade

“From Darkness to Light” by Stephany Orellana-Gomez, Benson High School (Omaha), 10th Grade

“I Am A Weird Kid” by Thaddeus Horner, Hayward Elementary (Nebraska City,) 3rd Grade

“It Is What It Is” by Jackson Rios, Norfolk Catholic Elementary (Norfolk), 3rd Grade

“3-1=2” by Keelynn Reese, Titan Hill Intermediate School (Council Bluffs, IA), 5th Grade

“Laika” by Ava Larson Gallegos, Brownell Talbot (Omaha), 11th Grade

“My Home” by Annabelle Wilson, St. Patrick School (McCook), 6th Grade

“Finding My Story” by Emelia Howell, Homeschool (Bennington), 5th Grade

“A Tale of Introversion” by Norah Purcell, Central High School (Omaha), 12th Grade

“Don’t Grow Up” by Zehla Sobansky, Kiewit Middle School (Omaha), 7th Grade

“The Sun” by Evie Nelson, Gretna High School (Gretna), 9th Grade

“US” by River Sirek, Sacred Heart Elementary (Norfolk), 3rd Grade