NAPLES, FL (October 30, 2026) – Opera Naples is pleased to announce it has received a $55,000 grant from the Collier Community Foundation. These funds will support Opera Naples Harmony Hub: Theatrical Summer Camp and After-school Programs. Harmony Hub is a free music and arts education program at the Wang Opera Center for eligible elementary and middle school students from nearby Title I schools, including Shadowlawn Elementary, Avalon Elementary and East Naples Middle School. Harmony Hub builds on Opera Naples’ Summer Youth Program and after-school programs, which have provided exceptional music enrichment programming for over 15 years. Eligible students get high-quality training in music, drama and performance. The generous grant will provide crucial funding for assistant teachers, music lab expansions and renovation, and need-based scholarships.
“Every child deserves the chance to discover their voice, both on stage and in life,” said Melanie Kalnins, Executive Director of Opera Naples. “We are tremendously proud of Robin Shuford Frank, our Director of Education and Community Outreach, whose vision and dedication built this program into what it is today. This generous grant from the Collier Community Foundation makes these programs accessible to more children, opening the doors of the Wang Opera Center, at no cost, to students from our neighboring schools. Harmony Hub gives them the training, mentorship and confidence that come from creating something extraordinary together, and their families get to share in that achievement. We are deeply grateful to the Collier Community Foundation for investing in the young people of East Naples.”
For more information or to apply for a needs-based scholarship, please call (239) 963-9050 or visit: https://operanaples.org/home/education/opera-naples-youth-company/
The Collier Community Foundation awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. Selected organizations receive grant dollars from the Foundation’s discretionary funds. These funds were gifted by donors who believe in the Community Foundation’s ability to mobilize resources to address the community’s greatest needs.
About the Collier Community Foundation:
The Collier Community Foundation® is a trusted, tax-exempt public charity dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Collier County through strategic, impactful philanthropy. Established in 1985, the Foundation manages more than 940 donor funds, partners with hundreds of nonprofits, and has awarded over $423 million in grants and scholarships. By connecting generosity with community needs, the Foundation empowers informed giving and delivers powerful results. Learn more at colliercf.org or call (239) 649-5000.
About Opera Naples:
Opera Naples is an artistic powerhouse, dedicated to presenting high-quality opera productions and concerts featuring prominent international, national and regional performers and directors. Opera Naples has presented well-known grand operas such as La bohème, Carmen, Faust, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly, Rigoletto, Tosca and more. An advocate of community service and education outreach, Opera Naples introduces opera to thousands of children each year through various programs, including in-school programs and performances in Collier and Lee counties, the Resident Artists Program and Summer Youth Program. The company is also committed to nurturing promising young talent through the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples Academy led by a faculty of prominent opera luminaries who offer an immersive program of vocal instruction, lectures and masterclasses. In collaboration with the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation, Opera Naples also hosts an International Voice Competition, in partnership with Florida Gulf Coast University. The company has earned local, regional and state government support. For more information, visit operanaples.org.