The first things that come to mind when one thinks of “opera” may be Viking hats, Italian falsettos, and stuffy retirees.

The thought of attending an opera, whether it is the ubiquitous Carmen or the highbrow Das Rheingold, can be intimidating for students. The Metropolitan Opera hopes to change this. At their annual press conference, held on Feb. 16, music director and maestro James Levine and general manager Peter Gelb outlined new initiatives for the 2011-2012 season geared toward making the opera more inviting and affordable for students.

For the past five years, ever since Peter Gelb became the general manager of the Met Opera, the house has begun a distinct departure from what can be considered the stereotypical opera. Gone is the emphasis on classical, Italian opera. Instead, Gelb has chosen to expand the Met’s repertoire with pieces that may not fit what one traditionally thinks of as opera. An increased emphasis has been placed on compositions that have been written in the past 25 years that cater to more modern audiences.

“The Enchanted Island,” a retelling of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that will make its world debut during the 2011-2012 season, is an opera set to move the opera house toward the contemporary. Although he described the new opera as a “pastiche of Baroque music and Shakespearean comedy,” Gelb considers it to be one of the more contemporary operas in their repertoire. There are no “thees and thous, only yous and yours,” says director Phelim McDermott, echoing Levine and Gelb’s hope that the play, which is entirely in English, will attract new and younger audiences. The opera uses an original score composed by Antonio Vivaldi combined with modern text written by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s Jeremy Sams, creating a juxtaposition that can be appreciated by any Music Hum student.

Other operas debuting next season that are expected to appeal to younger audiences are Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”—a comedic play about the taming of a young and spoiled nobleman—and a modern interpretation of Massenet’s “Manon”—the story of a young woman’s journey to find romance. Complementing the new will be time-tested hallmarks of the Met’s repertory, such as “Iphigénie en Tauride.” Based on the play by Euripedes, the opera should be an interesting performance for those who were intrigued by the House of Atreus in Lit Hum.

Along with more student-friendly productions, the Met Opera is trying to make performances more accessible. The house launched an initiative called MetOperaStudents, which aims to make shows more affordable for those on a tight budget. Students who enroll in this program can enjoy weekday performances for $27.50 and weekend performances for $37.50. Tickets can also come with access to dress rehearsals and discounts to the Met Shop. While these prices may seem steep, Columbians can enjoy even further discounted tickets courtesy of CUArts.

In addition, students can take part in the Student Ambassador Program. The program is designed to reach out to undergraduates, graduates, and Ph.D. candidates. Students are invited to serve as “think-tanks” to help develop promotional strategies to attract younger audiences for the Met.

While Gelb boasts that “the average age of the audience member has decreased from 65 to 57,” the success of the Met Opera’s initiatives has yet to be assessed. Nevertheless, the Met Opera is a cultural resource for Columbia students.

“It could be expensive, but it’s really cool to see themes of the Core expressed in art,” said Sara Chase, CC ’14, whose Lit Hum class has gone to see “Carmen” and “Iphigénie en Tauride.” It’s not there yet, but the Met Opera might just be on its way in to become “really cool.”