Waterperry Opera Festival (WOF) has announced that applications for its Young Artist Programme are now open to singers and répétiteurs. Established in 2017, this outdoor music festival takes place at Waterperry House and Gardens in Oxfordshire in August every year.
The scheme offers young artists who are at the beginning of their career in opera the opportunity to join WOF’s professional company as part of its annual summer festival. It provides mentorship and training in contemporary opera practice and collaborative theatre-making. The successful applicants will also receive a number of coaching and performance opportunities.
The Young Artists will be mentored by festival staff throughout the programme, which is managed by Director of the Young Artist Programme Rebecca Meltzer and assisted by Head of Music Ashley Beauchamp.
Five young singers will have the opportunity to develop areas of practice not generally covered by more traditional training, including stagecraft, movement, approaches to auditions, CV writing and professional development. Additionally, an emerging répétiteur will have the chance to work alongside and receive mentorship from experienced music staff within the company.
Waterperry Opera Festival is inviting applications for five singing positions: two sopranos, a mezzo-soprano, tenor and a bass or baritone. There is also one position available for a répétiteur. Applications close at 5pm on 3 January. Successful applicants will be invited to audition in the week commencing 10 January, with auditions to be held in London, Birmingham and Manchester.
The programme is aimed at singers and répétiteurs who are either final year undergraduates or studying for a Masters music degree at either a conservatoire or university. WOF also welcomes applications from students with credentials or experience equivalent to the above. The successful répétiteur will also have experience working with singers as a collaborative pianist and some experience working with texts in languages other than English, particularly Italian, German and French.
The WOF Young Artist Programme will take place throughout the months of July and August 2022 in central London. From 7 August until 20 August 2022, rehearsals and performances will take place on-site at Waterperry House and Gardens. Travel, accommodation and food will be provided by the festival for these dates. Waterperry Opera Festival can also offer a modest stipend towards living expenses for all participants on the programme.
In order to apply for any of these positions, interested performers should fill in a short Google Form that can be found on Waterperry Opera Festival’s website. All applicants will be notified whether they have been successful or not in their application.
The five singers on the programme will participate as members of the chorus in Waterperry Opera Festival’s main-stage production, as well as taking on smaller roles in other projects across the festival and performing in the Young Artist Gala. They will also receive regular coaching with WOF’s music staff and training opportunities and workshops covering different areas of opera craft. They will be offered the chance to have professional headshots and a professional recording of an aria.
The trainee répétiteur will attend a selection of music and production rehearsals for the main-stage production, shadowing Head of Music Ashley Beauchamp, and accompany all chorus music rehearsals. They will also receive one-on-one coaching sessions with Beauchamp and a conducting lesson with Waterperry Opera Festival Artistic Director Bertie Baigent.
They will take on the position of répétiteur for all Young Artist Gala rehearsals and coaching and accompany both performances as part of the festival. They will be given the unique opportunity to broaden their industry network through introductions and meetings and offered professional headshots.
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Waterperry Opera Festival is inviting applications from singers and répétiteurs in the early stages of a career in opera to its 2022 Young Artist Programme.