The Pittsburgh Opera’s Second Annual Family Day will be on Saturday, April 1 at 10 a.m. at the Bitz Opera Factory in the Strip District. The event will showcase the different components of the opera, with children, teenagers and their families as exhibitors.

There will be four activities per group, in which musical instruments will be shown and explained, a voice lesson given, along with Opera Storytime and Costume Exploration. The collaborators will be divided into four groups and all will participate in the four activities, which are scheduled until noon.

The Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra will show the range of instruments that are usually used in an opera orchestra and will discuss them, while the Pittsburgh Youth Choir will teach particpants about the different types of voice, the techniques used to project the voice and how to breathe, among other topics.

Children will be immersed in the story of  “The Great Poochini”–dog by day, opera star by night. Finally there will be a costume exploration, during which children will not only be able to try them on, but will also learn their importance and how they convey information about each of the characters.

“We are thrilled to have our inaugural Family Day,” said Pittsburgh Opera’s Director of Community Engagement and IDEA Initiatives Rebekah Diaz on the company’s website. “It’s a great way to give access to the performing arts, in a safe environment to welcome new audiences to this great artform. Whether you’re young or young at heart, this promises to be a fantastic experience. We look forward to making this an annual tradition.”