The Young Artist program of the Vienna State Opera

Coinciding with the first term of office of Bogdan Roščić and Philippe Jordan in 2020/21, the Vienna State Opera founded a Young Artist Program with the aim to promote outstanding singing talent through targeted and practice oriented experience.

Such a program not only enables the State Opera to have an early, intensive relationship with the elite of the next generation of singers, but also challenges the house to deal with fundamental questions about quality, tradition and comprehensive training of singing performers.

The Young Artist Program of the Vienna State Opera is an indispensable project for young talent at a large repertoire house in order to promote and maintain vocal excellence.

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Education

The Young Artist Program under the direction of the baritone Michael Kraus is aimed at artists who have completed their vocal training and whose talent and ability lead us to expect a career on an international level. During the two-year training in the Young Artist Program, the knowledge acquired during the course is deepened and the studio members have the opportunity to work with established artists and benefit from their rich experience.

The young singers receive a musical and scenic training program tailored to their personal needs and also appear on the stage of the Vienna State Opera in small and medium-sized roles. The members of the Young Artist Program receive a monthly training remuneration.
A cooperation with the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität Wien (MUK) allows members of the program to attend individual MUK courses free of charge. Master classes, rehearsals, training and workshops as well as participation in concerts of the Young Artist Program in Vienna and all of Austria round off the training.

The Vienna State Opera has an extensive network of international artists who come to Vienna from time to time or who also live in Vienna. The Young Artist Program of the Vienna State Opera is in the fortunate position to benefit from this network and invites experienced colleagues to pass on their knowledge to the next generation, be it in the form of master classes or individual coaching according to their time. In this way, KS Linda Watson, KS Adrian Eröd, KS Bo Skovhus and Daniela Fally have already been guests at the Young Artist Program. Prof. Helmut Deutsch gave a very successful master class for German Lied. This network will be continuously expanded in the future, as will the cooperation with the two Viennese music universities MDW and MUK.

After completing the program, the young artists should have the necessary prerequisites and skills to be part of a successful new generation of international opera life.

Application

From 1. May 2023 we will be accepting applications for the Young Artist Program for the season 2024/25. Young singers, who are born after 1. January 1994 and have completed their vocal training, may apply.
→ Submission deadline: 30. June 2023.

The application process is divided into three rounds. In the first round, a pre-selection is made, based on the following materials received:

→ artistic CV with photo
→ 3 opera arias in varying styles, at least one of them as a video and one in German
→ Passport copy
→ Repertoire list (sung and studied roles)

In a second round, the vocal, artistic and character skills required for the profession of an opera singer will be explored in a work session and will determine the selection for the final round.

Please note that applications can only be accepted via the application form that will be available here from May 1st, 2023.
Applications via email cannot be considered.

Quotes about the Young Artist Program

Bogdan Roščić, Direktor Wiener Staatsoper:

»A repertory house like the Wiener Staatsoper cannot operate successfully without an excellent vocal ensemble. As both Philippe and I see it, this ensemble must be supplemented by a studio for young artists who can become a very real part of the theatre and keep renewing the ensemble from within. A program like this not only enables the theatre to establish an early and intensive relationship with the world's best talents of the next generation, but it also challenges the house to deal with fundamental questions of quality, tradition and the all-round education of singing actors. The Wiener Staatsoper offers participants ideal conditions, not only because of its artistic standing but also because of the wide range of repertoire presented. I am confident that our program will quickly become one of the most important in the world and will bear spectacular fruit very soon.«

Philippe Jordan, Musikdirektor Wiener Staatsoper:

»For me, working with young singers always was and is a great responsibility and an inspiring challenge. On the one hand it's a matter of passing on your own experience and being a musical mentor, on the other hand you benefit from the freshness and youthful curiosity of new perspectives. I'm convinced that we will discover and promote a new generation in the Young Artist Program of the Wiener Staatsoper which will shape opera life in the city and help mold the opera world of the future.«

Michael Kraus, Leitung Opernstudio:

»I am very grateful for the trust Bogdan Roscic and Philippe Jordan have placed in me in letting me work with an international group of coaches and mentors to pass on our combined experience to the next generation of singers. The Young Artist Program of the Wiener Staatsoper will enable the best young singers to launch their professional career at one of the world's most important opera houses.«

Members 2022-2024

The second generation of the Young Artist Program of the Vienna State Opera has started with season 2022/23. 12 young singers and two pianists have been selected: