For aspiring young vocalists, four-year college, university, or conservatory settings—as well as Young Artist Programs provided by opera companies—offer an open door for singers in training.
But pre-college singers are among today’s young artists getting an early feel for the limelight as an increasing number of opera companies throughout the country welcome high school apprentices into the fold.
High school apprentice programs provide a rare, hands-on experience for singers in the earliest stages of professional development and training and can offer them a taste of a day in the life of a working singer or arts administrator.
These apprentices have opportunities to participate in the chorus or as a supernumerary of main stage productions, attend masterclasses, and benefit from one-on-one training with vocal professionals and experience working under a live orchestra and conductor—skills essential for professional singers. But beyond that, they also get a rare look behind the scenes into how an opera company’s day-to-day operations work.
Madison Opera
“Student singers get plenty of artistic training from their instructors and vocal coaches,” says Ronia Holmes, manager of marketing and community engagement at Madison Opera, a company in Wisconsin that began its high school apprentice program in 2008 for junior and senior high school vocal students.
“What it offers students is the chance to see how an opera company actually functions,” Holmes continues. “While the students do get to meet with professional singers and attend masterclasses, the most important aspect of the program is the chance to get behind the scenes. They get to see what is expected of professional singers during the rehearsal process. They get to see how professional singers work with one another, as well as the stage director and maestro. They get to probe the career-related issues of having an agent, preparing repertoire, working with strangers, balancing the personal and professional in one of the most challenging careers in the arts, and living out of a suitcase when they’re cast in a regional production. And they get to ask questions about the administrative side of things. Basically, the students get a glimpse of the ‘real world,’ where they must take the tools they’ve developed in school and use them to become responsible for their success.”
Holmes says the opportunity is important for high school students who are considering a career in the performing arts in order to make them more well rounded and better prepared professionals.
“What students often cite as their major concern is how to move forward with their career past high school,” she says. “They are often uncertain of how or where to look for opportunities to develop their careers and are worried that they do not have the right ‘package’ to present to increase their chances of acceptance to highly competitive programs.”
Holmes says one of the primary goals for Madison Opera’s program is to see every student leaving with a cleaner audition piece, an improved résumé or portfolio, a plan for researching and applying to other professional development programs or colleges, and confidence in their vocal capabilities.
“I tell students what my mentors told me: ‘Talent will only pull you so far—hard work is going to push you the rest of the way.’ I want students to have insight into what it takes—in terms of talent, presentation, and commitment—to keep getting the jobs.”
Madison Opera is just one of the companies across the country providing opportunities for high school vocalists. We’ve rounded up two others that also are enabling these young singers to make unique strides in early training.
Pittsburgh Opera
Pittsburgh Opera also is among the opera companies with an offering for high school students, with its sights set on helping them “get the jobs,” on stage and off. The company accepts high school students in grades 10-12 who are considering a career in the performing arts or are interested in learning more about what goes on behind the scenes of an opera company.
During four half-day sessions, apprentices learn about the company’s various departments, observe coaching sessions, talk with young singers in the company’s highly competitive Resident Artist Program, and explore an academic project. Additionally, students can attend rehearsals and other events.
“This program was started about 10 years ago as a career exploration effort enabling gifted students to be exposed to different departments within the opera company,” says Marilyn Egan, director of education at Pittsburgh Opera.
The program has since grown to include both fall and spring semester offerings for high school students interested in careers in nearly every aspect of opera, not just singing.
“For high school students aspiring for a career in the arts, it’s a chance for them to glimpse into the work young artists in their 20s would have liked to have known before they got there,” Egan says. “High school students need to know how to spend their time and money wisely. This offers them the opportunity to see if a career in the arts is really for them. Whether they want a career performing or in the arts in general, it enables them to make an informed decision.”
Egan says she has seen both sides of the spectrum, from students who leave the company’s apprentice program inspired and enthused to those who leave the program with a new career goal in mind.
“If they decide a career in the arts is not for them, I believe that’s a success as well,” Egan says. “It will mean they haven’t spent four years and a lot of money on a degree they will not use. This field is very competitive and takes a lot of dedication. The last thing we want is to have people chasing the dream but digging a deeper financial hole beneath them.”
Pittsburgh Opera puts another unique spin on their high school offerings by hosting mock auditions. These provide opportunities for students to experience an abbreviated, college-type audition process, complete with professional feedback, to help them assess their musical capabilities and prepare them for an actual college audition.
According to Egan, students participating in the mock auditions have an opportunity to participate in five 10-minute audition segments that include a vocal audition, a music theory assessment, a sight-singing assessment, a keyboard assessment, and an interview with a music administrator. Plus, students can get tips from the pros on how to have a successful audition, learn what clothing styles work best with various body types, and receive two passes to attend a Pittsburgh Opera dress rehearsal.
Egan says the idea came to her upon overhearing a father of a young male singer talk about having his son apply to six different colleges in order to hone his auditioning skills.
“When you think about the cost, the time, and the travel—whether the singer was interested in those schools or not—it didn’t make sense,” Egan says. “We have resources here—wonderful coaches, wonderful pianists. We created a program that would offer high school students a whole battery of assessment so they get a feel of what it will be like in a college audition.”
Egan says the mock auditions have been an incredible wake-up call for students.
“Let me tell you about a high school apprentice named Hannah,” Egan says. “She had just graduated from a high school that didn’t have a lot of extracurricular activities. She had been in choir and had taken private voice lessons from someone in the community that maybe taught her how to sing. But she had no theory background and no keyboard background. She came in for the keyboard assessment and didn’t even know where to put her hands. But she made it through the day. She was the bravest woman I have ever met putting herself out there like that. She took it upon herself to get some lessons in theory and keyboard and has since been accepted to major in music.
“The mock auditions are really an opportunity for these aspiring singers to really learn about themselves,” Egan continues. “I would rather see a handful really learn that and what they need to do to be successful in such a competitive field. We have one of the top Young Artist Programs in the country and four openings for nearly 600 applicants. Even if a singer is accepted into that, it doesn’t guarantee that they will get an agent or have a career in opera. It can be a big wake-up call for these young students.”
Palm Beach Opera
Palm Beach Opera’s high school apprentice program in California is aimed at students ages 16 and older enrolled in a theater or vocal program and who intend to pursue music or technical theater after graduating high school. Students commit up to six hours per week, including some evenings and weekends, and also receive behind-the-scenes access to performances and rehearsals, interaction with artists and stage personnel, voice lessons with artistic personnel and visiting artists, and hands-on technical production experience.
Acceptance into the program is based on an application process including submission of a résumé, recordings, and recommendations.
“The PBO Studio Program is a community-based outreach initiative designed to provide access and opportunity to high school students with an interest in the field of opera,” says Bruce Stasyna, director of the Young Artist Program at Palm Beach Opera. “The program provides an opportunity for training and experiences that are geared toward the real-world demands required for a life in the performing arts.”
Stasyna says components of the program include coaching opportunities with artistic staff and members of the Palm Beach Opera Young Artist Program, as well as observing masterclasses given by distinguished artists. There also are opportunities for high school students to observe and participate as supernumeraries in the company’s Young Artist and main stage productions.
Stasyna says the benefit of a high school apprenticeship for students in pursuit of a career in the performing arts is that it lays an early foundation in artistic training.
“The myriad of degree programs offering training in the performing arts can be a difficult maze to navigate,” he says. “Students who participate in a studio program while in secondary school will emerge with a clearer sense of what to look for when choosing an undergraduate program of study. Students should look for an opportunity where they are able to learn about the fundamental skills required of the aspiring professional singer.”
Specifically, Stasyna says, students should look for an introduction to the training and standards required to develop the voice as a professional instrument, seek out exposure to the infinite detail and possibilities of languages in which one performs, find opportunities to cultivate the technical skills of stage craft, and develop the physical and mental endurance required to pace a successful performance arc within an operatic production.
“There is a tangible sense of achievement within an environment that provides exposure to high standards,” Stasyna says. “Young singers leave with a newly found sense of poise and confidence, as well as a set of clearly defined parameters with regard to the process of learning music and language when they have the option of participating in these kinds of programs.”
