Edward Berkeley, director

How to Apply

Aspen Opera Theater Center offers a wide range of exciting performance opportunities. These include three fully-staged productions in the Wheeler Opera House with distinguished conductors and directors, the Art Song Series, weekly public Opera Scenes Master Classes, and house concerts. All performers in these events are AOTC singers.

In addition, AOTC singers participate in an intensive curriculum of music, acting, song repertory, diction and movement classes, rehearsals, Alexander Technique sessions, auditioning and professional-orientation workshops, individual music and dramatic coachings, weekly voice lessons, and vocal master classes taught by resident artist-faculty and guest artists.

There will be eight Opera Scenes Master Classes with director Edward Berkeley. Two of these sessions are presented with full orchestra in collaboration with the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen. These give all AOTC singers the opportunity to appear publicly in scenes with conductor and either piano or orchestra. In addition, there may be an Aria Master Class led by international conductor James Conlon, music director of the Los Angeles Opera and Chicago’s Ravinia Festival.

AOTC 2010 stage productions are centered on the Beaumarchais Figaro trilogy: Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (libretto by Cesare Sterbini), Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte) and John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles (libretto by William Hoffmann).

The final week of the season will be devoted to classes focused on audition technique and professional orientation. In different sessions, singers will work both in groups and individually with Gayletha Nichols, director of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Auditions, and Diane Zola, artistic administrator of the Houston Grand Opera, in addition to resident artist-faculty.

A select number of singers will participate in one of a series of song recitals. This element, in which students prepare repertoire under the guidance of AOTC artist-faculty, provides excellent opportunities for both artistic and technical development.

All members in AOTC are expected to sing in one opera chorus and to provide technicalsupport hours as part of their experience.

Opera Coaching Opportunity
The AOTC also conducts an opera coaching program in which opera piano fellowship students participate in opera and vocal coaching with the AOTC’s artist-faculty pianists and coaches. In this program, fellows play for opera and class scene preparation, and perform with AOTC singers in the weekly opera scenes master classes. Fellowship candidates are auditioned by members of the opera artist-faculty.

All singers and coaches must do a live audition. Assignments of all major roles will be made based on the AOTC 2010 national audition tour. Supporting roles and principal covers may be assigned based on the national audition tour and/or after the Aspen auditions are held the first week of the season. Audition CDs are used to determine studio placement. All students are encouraged to participate in the music-related courses offered by the AMFS artist-faculty and staff College credit is available for some courses. For a full list of course offerings, please click here.

How to Apply:
All items to be submitted together. All items, including recordings, will not be returned.

• Due date: November 30, 2009 (Apply early for discounted application fee.)
• Schedule a live audition online after November 2, 2009.
• All items to be submitted together:
  • Completed application and financial assistance application.
  • Application Fee
  • Please select your three instructor choices from the voice artist-faculty list (not the AOTC list).
  • THREE COPIES of a CD, approximately fifteen minutes in length with two or three contrasting works (used for studio placement)
• Be sure all items on the Application Checklist have been completed.
  

In addition to the above requirements, students are strongly encouraged but not required to send two letters of recommendation, which may be used in the scholarship process.

Note: Financial aid is available in the form of fellowship and scholarship assistance. Fellowships, covering full tuition, room, and board, are usually awarded to students assigned to major roles. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of the audition results, the Aspen private teacher's recommendation, and financial need.

Live Audition Requirements for Singers

A pianist will be provided. If auditioning for a specific role, singers are expected to perform an aria from that role.

• Present two arias in contrasting styles (one in English and the other in Italian)
• Present a one-minute monologue
• Bring an 8" x 10" glossy photograph
• Bring a current professional resume

Live Audition Requirements for Coaches

The AMFS will make every effort to provide a singer. All applicants must be prepared to sing as they play and to sight-read as requested. For the live audition, prepare the following works:

• PUCCINI: La boheme: "Mi Chiamano Mimi"
• MOZART: Le nozze di Figaro: Act II Finale
• STRAVINSKY: The Rake's Progress: "No Word from Tom"

Aspen Opera Theater Center Audition Dates

Live audition sign-up will be available on November 2. Please check back.

Ann Arbor - Friday, January 8
Boston - Saturday, December 5
Chicago - Saturday, January 9
Cincinnati - Thursday, January 7
Houston - Saturday, November 14
Los Angeles - Monday, January 11
New York - Saturday, December 12-Sunday, December 13; Saturday, January 16-Sunday, January 17
San Francisco - Sunday, November 15

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