Opera Neo 2026 Season
Auditions for Singers
We are announcing LIVE and VIRTUAL auditions for our 2026 Season!
Singers will be considered for the following positions:
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Apprentice Artists will sing leading and supporting roles and sing in the ensemble. Apprentice Artists are typically young artists with some professional experience. To be considered for an Apprentice Artist contract, applicants must have credits performing a principal role in a fully-staged opera production with orchestra with organizations other than academic institutions.
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Studio Artists will cover principal roles, may sing supporting roles, and will sing in the ensemble. To be considered for a Studio Artist contract, applicants must be college or graduate voice students with exceptional career potential, with some opera performance credits at their academic institution or other performing arts organizations.
All artists (Apprentice and Studio) will receive a stipend. Housing or a housing stipend will be provided.
Apprentice Artists: $700 per week
Studio Artists: $500 per week
Age Limit: 35
Live Audition Information
Attention! Some of the audition dates have been changed!
APPLICATION DEADLINES:
Chicago: Monday, September 8, 2025
Boston: Monday, September 8, 2025
Austin: Monday, September 8, 2025
New York: Monday, September 15, 2025
San Diego: Monday, September 15, 2025
(Virtual Auditions: Monday, September 22, 2025)
LIVE AUDITION LOCATIONS AND DATES:
Chicago: Saturday, September 27, 2025
San Diego: Saturday, October 4, 2025
Boston: Saturday, October 11, 2025
New York: Friday, October 17 & Saturday, October 18, 2025
Austin: Saturday, October 25, 2025
ROUND ONE: PRESCREENING MATERIALS REQUIRED:
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(Please note: the application form works best in Google Chrome.)
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Current Resume
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Current Headshot
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Two pre-screening video recordings (One selection from an eighteenth century opera, and one additional selection of your choice.)
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No Application Fee is required. An Audition Fee ($18 for virtual auditions, $39 for live auditions) will be required for all candidates who advance to Round Two.
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All applicants must either be citizens of the United States of America or authorized to legally work in the United States.
ROUND TWO: LIVE AUDITION REQUIREMENTS AND DETAILS:
Please prepare FOUR SELECTIONS to offer at your live audition:
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At least one aria should be selected from an eighteenth century opera.
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At least one aria must demonstrate your ability to sing up-tempo coloratura passages.
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One of the selections should be a Musical Theater piece, a cabaret song, a light opera or operetta selection, or an art song.
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Please include a solo recitativo example in your selections. If none of your arias includes a recitativo, please prepare a solo recitativo excerpt in addition to your four arias.
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Baroque repertoire is always welcome and encouraged, but not required.
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There are no additional language requirements.
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Please come casually dressed, no "audition outfits" please.
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A $39 Audition Fee is required for all candidates who are invited to a live audition.
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A pianist will be provided.
Bring selections that best showcase your personality and voice.
Round Three for both live and virtual applicants will be an online interview. Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis between September 27 and December 1, 2025.
Virtual Audition Information
ROUND ONE:
Round One Deadline: September 22, 2025
Materials required for Round One:
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-
(Please note: the application form works best in Google Chrome.)
-
-
Current Resume
-
Current Headshot
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Two pre-screening video recordings (One selection from an eighteenth century opera, and one additional selection of your choice.)
-
No Application Fee is required. An Audition Fee of $18 for virtual auditions will be required for all applicants who are invited to and choose to accept a Round Two audition.
If you are selected to advance to Round Two, you will be notified by October 8, 2025.
There are NO requirements to make new recordings (if you have an existing recording of selections from the past 12 months you may submit it), and there are NO requirements to record all selections back-to-back or in one take.
ROUND TWO:
Round Two Deadline: October 24, 2025
Finalists advancing to the Round Three will be notified by November 7, 2025
Please prepare to submit video recordings of the four selections you listed.
Your selections must include the following:
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At least one aria should be selected from an eighteenth century opera.
-
At least one aria must demonstrate your ability to sing up-tempo coloratura passages.
-
One of the selections should be a Musical Theater piece, a cabaret song, or a light opera or operetta selection, or an art song.
-
Please include a solo recitativo example in your selections. If none of your arias includes a recitativo, please prepare a solo recitativo excerpt in addition to your four arias.
-
Baroque repertoire is always welcome and encouraged, but not required.
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There are no additional language requirements.
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If you are making a recording specifically for Opera Neo, casual dress is encouraged, otherwise there is no dress code for the recordings.
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An $18 Audition Fee is required for all candidates who advance to Round Two and choose to accept their audition.
Offer selections that best showcase your personality and voice.
ROUND THREE:
Round Three will consist of individual Zoom interviews (no singing).
Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis between October 24 and December 1, 2025.
Please note: the application form works best in Google Chrome.
Auditions for Apprentice Conductors, Pianists/Coaches, Stage Managers, and Stage Directors
All interviews for Apprentice Conductors, Pianists/Coaches, Stage Managers, and Stage Directors are virtual.
All artists will receive a fee. Housing or a housing stipend will be provided.
Audition Information
The virtual interview process for Apprentice Conductors, Pianists/Coaches, Stage Managers, and Stage Directors will take place in two rounds.
We are accepting applications for:
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2 apprentice stage director/assistant director positions
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1 apprentice conductor/assistant conductor position
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1 apprentice pianist/coach position
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2 apprentice stage manager positions
ROUND ONE:
Round One Deadline: October 24, 2025
Materials required for Round One:
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(Please note: the application form works best in Google Chrome.)
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For Apprentice Conductors, video recordings of:
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You conducting an instrumental ensemble/orchestra (12 people or more) in a concert or rehearsal from the past 3 years (Up to 15 min.)
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You conducting a vocal soloist or small ensemble of up to six singers with a piano or instrumental ensemble/orchestra rehearsing or performing an aria or operatic ensemble from the past two years. (Up to 15 min.)
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For Apprentice Pianists/Coaches, a video recording of you accompanying a singer in a concert or rehearsal. (Up to 15 min.)
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For Apprentice Stage Directors, a video recording (excerpt) of your original staging from the past three years (Performance or rehearsal video is ok. Up to 15 min.)
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For Apprentice Stage Managers no video recordings are required.
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No Application Fee is required. An Audition Fee of $18 for virtual auditions will be required for all applicants who are invited to and choose to accept a Round Two audition/interview.
If you are selected to receive an interview, we will contact you by November 14, 2025 to schedule a Zoom interview in November or December 2025.
INTERVIEWS:
If you advance to the interview round we’ll give you instructions via email at that time for how to prepare.
Please note: the application form works best in Google Chrome.