Central City Opera has announced that it has received the 2025-26 Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth Grant.

The grant, administered by Think 360 Arts for Learning, allows the company to expand its “Chiaroschuro: Light in Darkness” program, which explores mental health awareness and suicide prevention through opera, to a full-semester residency at an Aurora-based school.

“‘Chiaroscuro’ is a reframing of traditional opera scenes into the everyday of teens’ lives and the challenges they face as they navigate in times of light and darkness. It is a mental health program for suicide prevention portraying relevant issues and stories of resilience,” said Daniel Guzmán, Stage Director of the program, per the company’s official website. “Chiaroscuro is our effort to make our artform relevant and to serve our community beyond the beauty of the human voice as an instrument, and to speak out as the voice and heart of young life.”

The grant is made possible by the generosity of such funders as Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Colorado Creative Industries, Denver Arts and Venues, and the Gates Family Foundation.