Young Artist Program

Chautauqua Opera’s Young Artist Program was established in 1968. Now under the supervision of Artistic/General Director Steven Osgood and Carol Rausch, Music Administrator/Chorus Master, it is recognized as one of the best training programs for young singers in America today. Over 1,000 artists have benefitted from this professional training experience.

Chautauqua Opera provides our Young Artists with the performance tools essential to establishing a professional career in opera. All Young Artists receive extensive musical coaching from a nationally recognized coaching staff from the finest universities, conservatories and houses in the US. All Artists in the program are offered classes in movement, combat, makeup, and acting, and all artists appear in the mainstage productions. All young artists also have opportunities to participate in master classes taught by distinguished artists, agents, and voice teachers. Notable masterclass artists in the recent past have included John Fisher (Metropolitan Opera), Craig Rutenberg (Metropolitan Opera), Peter Kazaras (Seattle Opera YA Program), Marlena Malas (Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music), and Brian Zeger (Juilliard).

Each year, the Chautauqua Opera Young Artist Program attracts 700-900 applicants, of whom approximately 400 are invited to auditions in the Fall. From those auditions, 16 Young Artists are chosen to participate in the summer season.