The youngest Met Opera Ambassador, Layla Felder, encourages accessibility in the arts

Layla Felder is the youngest Met Opera Ambassador. (Jenna Gering)

In second grade, when other seven-year-olds were watching “Scooby-Doo,” Layla Felder was watching the opera “La Bohème.” Layla is the youngest Met Opera Ambassador; she’s a senior at the Atlanta International School, and she has attended over one hundred opera houses around the world. Layla created the organization Kids Opera and Art Posse to encourage greater accessibility in the arts. This Friday, April 1, Terrence Blanchard’s musical setting of Charles Blow’s memoir “Fire Shut Up In My Bones” will premiere on PBS as part of “Great Performances at the Met.” Felder joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes via Zoom to talk about the opera appreciation movement she’s spearheading and what to look forward to in this Friday’s broadcast.

Interview highlights:

How “Carmen” gave Felder the opera bug: