LOS ANGELES — Though he was initially skeptical about trying it, Cedric Berry, an opera singer, fell in love with the art form at a young age and has been an opera singer ever since.

“It’s art. It’s dance. It’s voice. It’s music. It’s rhythm. It’s everything that you can possibly think of in one production,” Berry said.

Initially, he also heard the opinions of opera being a dying art form. But years later, opera and Berry are still in business. 

Recently, the World Opera Forum, hosted by the LA Opera, discussed those very opinions and the future of opera with opera leaders from around the world. Christopher Koelsch, president and CEO of LA Opera, expressed optimism for opera’s future.

“There’s an incredible surge of interest amongst young people, both as audience members and also as creatives,” Koelsch said. “There’s a sense really, of, I think, measured but real optimism about the future of this art form.”

He noted the diverse entry points into the field and the art form’s power to foster human connection and communal experiences as a few of opera’s strengths.  

 If you’re looking to head to the opera or get involved, you can check out what’s happening here.