Young Artists Program
AN APPRENTICESHIP FOR YOUNG PERFORMERS
The Young Artists Program (YAP) was established at Glimmerglass in 1988 as an important component of the company’s mission to promote an artistically challenging environment for young performers. The program provides training and performance experience for talented singers at the beginning of their professional careers. This program accepts opera singers, musical theater singers/dancer, coach/accompanists and stage directors.
The Young Artists Program is distinguished from many other apprentice programs in the variety and quality of the opportunities it provides its members, most of whom hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees from leading conservatories. Many have already begun professional careers, singing with regional and national companies.
For three months, Young Artists are placed in a nurturing environment. They are treated as professionals and provided with compensation, a comfortable place to live, transportation and meals, freeing them to concentrate on their work.
The focus of the program is on education through performance. Young Artists receive opportunities to perform and cover appropriate roles in all four mainstage productions and to work with world-class directors, designers and conductors.
Young Artists receive musical coaching, attend classes in diction and acting, and are given instruction in such skills as audition techniques, role preparation and the business aspects of managing a career. In 2011, Glimmerglass Young Artists worked with world-renowned soprano Deborah Voigt, who joined the company as the inaugural Artist in Residence. American bass-baritone Eric Owens, who has performed to critical acclaim at Metropolitan, San Francisco and Washington National operas, joined the company as the 2012 Artist in Residence, and returned as Artist in Residence in 2015 and 2018. Julie and Nathan Gunn served as 2013 Artists in Residence, and Christine Goerke was the Artist in Residence for the 2014 season. Jay Hunter Morris was the 2016 Artist in Residence. William Burden was the 2017 Artist in Residence. 2019 Artist in Residence John Corigliano is the first composer to serve in this capacity.
During the summer, administrators from many of the world’s leading opera houses visit Glimmerglass to hear the Young Artists in performance. Many of the Young Artists are offered roles or representation as a result of their appearances at Glimmerglass. Each Young Artist performs in special concerts in the Alice Busch Opera Theater and the Pavilion next to the theater.
The Young Artists also participate in master classes given by distinguished artists. In the past, master classes have been led by Jonathan Miller, John Shirley-Quirk, Theodor Uppman, Phyllis Curtin, Simon Callow, Lorna Haywood, Sherrill Milnes, Evelyn Lear, Thomas Stewart, William Warfield, Vinson Cole and Benita Valente, Steven Blier and Robin Guarino, among others.
The company is indebted to the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust, through its donation of Lime Kiln, a residence in Cherry Valley where Young Artists live and train during their stay at Glimmerglass.
Audition Information
Applications for the 2021 Young Artists Program (YAP) are now live. Due to COVID-19, no live auditions will be held this year. The Glimmerglass Festival will be screening and auditioning candidates online in consideration for the 2021 Young Artists Program. We are working together with other young artist programs on a coordinated virtual audition process this fall. Steps are outlined here.
At this time, we are only accepting applications from singers. Information about YAP opportunities for pianists, conductors, and assistant directors, will be available later.
Any questions regarding applications can be directed to yap_info@glimmerglass.org.
We are very excited to welcome this extremely talented roster of artists into the fold. While the COVID-19 pandemic will not permit them to perform their anticipated roles or positions during the 2020 Festival, we still look forward to working with these artists throughout the summer in new and creative ways.
2020 Young Artists
Andres Acosta, tenor
Tori Tedeschi Adams, soprano
Mia Athey, mezzo-soprano
Haley Ayers, mezzo-soprano
J. Bradley Baker, pianist/coach
Nicolas Lell Benavides, composer
Quinn Bernegger, tenor
Anna Betka, pianist/coach
Brad Bickhardt, tenor
Rachel Blaustein, soprano
Ian Burns, baritone
Carlos Cárdenas, tenor
Maire Therese Carmack, mezzo-soprano
Armando Contreras, baritone
Antonio Cruz, baritone
Noragh Devlin, mezzo-soprano
Kanisha Feliciano, soprano
Dmitry Glivinskiy, conductor
Caitlin Gotimer, soprano
Khady Gueye, mezzo-soprano
Kamna Gupta, conductor
Spencer Hamlin, tenor
Madison Hertel, mezzo-soprano
Helen Zhibing Huang, soprano
Mary-Hollis Hundley, soprano
Jacob Ingbar, countertenor
Chandler Johnson, tenor
Allen Michael Jones, bass
Edwin Joseph, baritone
Aaron Jacob Keeney, baritone
Joshua Kring, tenor
Ashlee Lamar, soprano
Jorrell Laywer-Jefferson, choreographer
Kameron Lopreore, tenor
Sergio Martínez, bass
Emily Misch, soprano
Peter Morgan, bass-baritone
Keymon W. Murrah, countertenor
Reilly Nelson, mezzo-soprano
Michael Pandolfo, baritone
Seokho Park, tenor
Teresa Perrotta, soprano
Alison Pogorelc, director
Lisa Marie Rogali, soprano
Stephanie Sanchez, mezzo-soprano
Bin Yu Sanford, pianist/coach
Ian Silverman, director
Michael Sloan, tenor
Kaley Karis Smith, director
Haley Stamats, director
Yvonne Trobe, soprano
Ariana Warren, mezzo-soprano
Samuel White, tenor
Julia Wolcott, soprano
The Glimmerglass Festival thanks the following Young Artists Program sponsors, who have made this summer’s education and programming possible:
General program support:
The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc.
Corning Incorporated Foundation
Eugenia and David Ames
Jacqueline B. Mars
Anonymous, sponsor of Samuel White ● Dianne Balfour and Carl Adkins, sponsors of Peter Morgan and Stephanie Sanchez ● Jim and Nancy Barton, sponsors of Mary-Hollis Hundley ● Jeffrey P. Cunard and Mariko Ikehara, sponsors of Michael Pandolfo ● Wendy Curtis, sponsor of Anna Betka and Ashlee Lamar ● Allen R. and Judy Brick Freedman, sponsors of Kamna Gupta ● Joel and Naomi Freedman, sponsors of Noragh Devlin ● Nellie and Robert Gipson, sponsors of Brad Bickhardt, Rachel Blaustein, Maire Therese Carmack, Antonio Cruz, and Haley Stamats ● Sherwin M. Goldman, sponsor of Ian Silverman ● Carla and Erika Hall, sponsors of Bin Yu Sanford and Kaley Karis Smith ● Mary K. Humfeld and Sonia Manganaro, sponsors of Khady Gueye ● John and Dolores Hunter, sponsors of Kanisha Feliciano ● Patricia Kavanagh and James Grant, sponsors of Armando Contreras ● Hon. And Mrs. M. Langhorn Keith, sponsors of Ian Burns ● Elizabeth Lemieux, sponsor of Tori Tedeschi Adams and Megan Vennell ● Gregory Long and Scott Newman, sponsors of Michael Sloan ● Ellen F. Marcus, sponsor of Aaron Jacob Keeney ● Tom Morgan and Erna Morgan McReynolds, sponsors of Spencer Hamlin ● Van Broughton Ramsey and Robert Nelson, sponsors of Andres Acosta, Quinn Bernegger, Carlos Cardenas, Sergio Martinez, and Seokho Park ● Melanie and David Niemiec, sponsors of Teresa Perrotta ● Nancy and Chip Northrup, sponsors of Ariana Warren ● Thomas C. Ragan, sponsor of Key’mon Murrah ● Pamela Reis, sponsor of Mia Athey ● Rona C. and Arthur E. Rosenbaum, sponsors of Jacob Ingbar ● Beth Sapery and Rosita Sarnoff, sponsors of Caitlin Gotimer ● Michael Sekus and Bianca Russo, sponsors of J. Bradley Baker ● Martin and Dagni Senzel, sponsors of Emily Misch and Alison Pogorelc ● Thomas Simpson, sponsor of Kameron Lopreore ● Patsy Smith, sponsor of Madison Hertel and Joshua Kring ● Ted Snowdon and Duffy Violante, sponsors of Nicolas Lell Benavides and Dmitry Glivinskiy ● Eugene and Jean Stark, sponsors of Lisa Marie Rogali and Katie Swainston ● Sally Susman and Robin Canter, sponsors of Allen Michael Jones ● Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Turner III, sponsors of Helen Huang ● Kara Unterberg, sponsor of Edwin Joseph ● The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, sponsor of Reilly Nelson ● Bill and Theda White, sponsors of Julia Wolcott ● Michael Young and Debra Raskin, sponsors of Chandler Johnson and Yvonne Trobe ● Jean Sincere Zambello Young Artist, Haley Ayers