The 4th National Youth Opera Academy will be held at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado in August 2024. At the Academy, students learn about opera performance and acting from master clinicians with over 35 years of experience working in top opera houses around the world, while gaining skills and experience to build their confidence as developing musicians. The program culminates in a live staged production at the Avon Performance Pavilion.
The program curriculum includes daily musical training with Principal Conductor Dr. Allan Laiño and Artistic Director Luke McEndarfer, stage direction led by Opera Program Director & GRAMMY® nominee Johnathan McCullough, acting seminars led by Dylan F. Thomas, interactive masterclasses and prop building, live performance, Conducting Fellowship and Directing/Stage Management Fellowship opportunities, summer outdoor activities in and around the iconic Vail Village, special dinners, daily swimming, and more.
Johnathan McCullough recently premiered his production of David T. Little’s Soldier Songs with Opera Philadelphia, which was nominated by the Recording Academy for Best of Recording, received an International Opera Award nomination, and won the Artistic Creation Prize at the inaugural Opera America Awards for Digital Excellence. He recently made his Canadian directing debut this season with the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal with a program entitled “Emily,” centered around works written by Emily Dickinson, which he co-created with conductor and pianist Christopher Allen. As a director, McCullough’s work has been noted by the The New York Times as “a pacesetter for cinematic opera.”
McCullough also serves as executive director of the newly founded Fourth Wall Ensemble, a 12-singer vocal ensemble based in New York City. The group is dedicated to storytelling through sound and movement. This theatrical ensemble is described as “bringing new works to life, while simultaneously exploring the earliest roots of vocal music.”
In this interview, McCullough shares insights on his role at the National Youth Academy, as well as the training and the possibilities the Academy offers its students and alumni.
How did you first get involved with this program? You have many projects going on with your performance career, directing career, and the new Fourth Wall Ensemble. What motivates you to make time for the National Youth Opera Academy?
LA Opera Camp was where I first discovered my love of opera, which completely changed the course of my life. It was there that the instructors told me that opera was a career option, which I had no idea about up until that point. When Luke McEndarfer approached me about running their new opera program years later, I immediately knew it was something I would love to do.
I find great joy in teaching and mentorship. I think that it is very important for high school students to learn from mentors who are out in the world doing what the students want to do. It is here that you learn the things they don’t teach you in school.
Who is this program curated for? What is the audition process like? Is there financial aid available?
The program is geared toward students up to age 18 at every level of experience. If you love performing and being onstage, this program is for you.
Auditions may be done live either in person or virtually, and students are asked to submit two contrasting arias, one being in English. We ask students what they are looking to get out of our program, which helps us in customizing the curriculum for the year.
We do have need-based financial aid and our goal is to not let finances be the reason someone is not able to attend the academy.
What are some short-term and long-term goals for the program as well as for the participants? How do you hope these might impact the opera industry directly or indirectly?
The goals of both the program and our participants are largely shared. We want our students to have the opportunity to participate in putting on a fully staged live opera with an orchestra. They experience what it is like to learn a show and go through the staging process, tech, and performance.
We also educate students about different areas of the industry, as many of these students express an interest in the arts but want to major in a different area of focus. We include conducting and stage management fellowships where the students get hands-on experience, including preparing a score and conducting an aria with the orchestra.
Our goal is to cultivate a love for the art form in this younger generation and give the stars of tomorrow their first chance at performing an opera. We hope to give the students in the program a significant advantage as they head to college and conservatory. By the time they are in the spotlight, it is not something new but something they are well acquainted with and ready to succeed. I think this will translate to the professional world on the same scale.
2024 marks the fourth year for the program. What have you learned so far as the program director? Has it made you adapt the way you approach your work every year?
I have learned that when you treat high school students like professionals, they rise to the occasion and are as prepared as professionals are. I think that people can sometimes underestimate youth—but after going through a few years of this program, I’m very happy to see what is in store for the future of the opera world.
What makes this academy unique, aside from the high-level music education?
It comes down to the “learn by doing” approach. If you want to sing opera, you need to be in operas. Performance is the basis of our curriculum. We have everything from masterclasses, vocal coachings, and acting classes to a fully staged opera with sets and costumes and an orchestra.
Can you give us a sneak peek of the plans for 2024?
We will be performing a hilarious brand-new opera created by Dylan F. Thomas, which will pull music from various Donizetti operas set to an updated plot.
What’s in store for some of the alumni of the National Youth Opera Academy?
We have had several alumni who are performing leading roles at the top performing arts high schools around the country. A few of our alumni have recently started their training at Juilliard and are quickly making a name for themselves in New York. Others have gone on to sing roles in Europe.
Could you share with us a fun behind-the-scenes anecdote from previous years at the academy?
At our final dinner before the performance, the students were reflecting upon their time together as a group. One of the most heartwarming moments was when one student unexpectedly offered the most touching thought: “I knew this program would take me out of my comfort zone, but now this is my new comfort zone.”
For more information about the National Youth Academy and 2024 application details, visit https://nationalchildrenschorus.com/opera-camp.
