In an industry where self-doubt can be paralysing, Opera for Peace Ambassador and soprano Ailyn Perez shares her techniques for helping emerging artists to trust their voices, how to navigate away from the feeling of continually being judged, and she acknowledges her own vulnerability when approaching a new piece – a reminder that even those at the…

With its extensive international travel, sets and costumes created for individual productions, many of which are then disposed of, opera does not have a reputation for being particularly green. However, companies and individuals are now making great strides towards sustainability in the face of the climate crisis and are continuing to find ways to …

For many artists there are barriers that go much deeper than the gender binary, but how can we ensure people of every gender have real access and are genuinely welcomed in the opera world? Trailblazing American baritone Lucia Lucas reveals the highs and lows of inhabiting a role close to her heart; Lili Elbe at the Theater St. Gallen, about the epo…

‘Classical opera has a racism problem’ ran a headline in the New York Times in 2019, one of many articles in recent years to discuss the subject. Racism is high on the list of issues the opera world is looking to tackle, and in this episode we’re joined by two artists from different sides of the Atlantic, exploring how they are striving to create a…

‘Is opera the most misogynistic art form?’ asked Charlotte Higgins in The Guardian back in 2016, noting that the genre itself seems to devour women. In Classical Music Magazine in 2020, Becca Marriott argued that ‘Sexism is preventing women from forging a career in opera’. Over the course of the next episodes, we are looking at how voices in opera …

Opera has long been accused of elitism, racism and misogyny, and over the course of the next few episodes we are looking at how voices in opera are calling for change to make it better for all our young artists. We begin by looking at the representation of Asian culture on the operatic stage, and investigate the lived experience of artists who are …

This month, OperaVision is back in Paris at Opera for Peace’s second academy, with our expert the soprano Sumi Jo sharing her warm yet strict approach to working with emerging artists, and giving us tips on sustaining a long and healthy career. Meanwhile we explore what it means to come to opera later in life with tenor Raùl Guttierrez, and the imp…

OperaVision heads to the Palau de les Arts and their Centre de Perfeccionament in Valencia, where two of our young artists talk about the challenge of balancing outside opportunities with in-house commitments, the realisation that insecurities as an artist happen at every level, and the difference between being treated like a young artist and a you…

This month, OperaVision takes you along the Adriatic Coast to the Rossini Opera Festival’s Accademia Rossiniana’s ‘Alberto Zedda’ in Pesaro. Three young artists negotiate their way through the packed auditions, develop their Rossini style and technique, and find ways to make roles truly their own. We learn what they are discovering from their Maste…

This month, OperaVision takes you from the Studio at Oper Frankfurt to backstage at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. Nombulelo Yende shares her hopes and fears about performing in front of experts and an international audience, while Clara Hyoyoung Kim is honest about the challenges of clashing schedules and saying ‘no’ when it is necessary. Meanwh…

One of the leading tenors of his generation, Brian Jagde joins us after his Opera for Peace Masterclass in Paris. He opens up about vocal technique and mental health. Through his work with tenors Raúl Gutiérrez and Matteo Ivan Rašić, we hear sound advice on vocal interpretation. We learn more about his work ethic, his transition from baritone to te…

This month, OperaVision is back with the Rossini Opera Festival’s Accademia Rossiniana ‘Alberto Zedda’ where we hear about alumnus Stefan Astakov’s opera journey and how he has learnt to let go of technique when performing in front of a judging panel. Coach and tenor Luca Canonici shares what he thinks young singers should avoid at all costs. We he…

This month we return to the Palau de les Arts and their Centre de Perfeccionament, where the young Soprano Iria Goti finds her feet in a brand new production of Cendrillon. We discover how she reacts when self-criticism and nerves take hold during a performance. Meanwhile, alumna of the programme soprano Angel Blue gives us an insight into her rela…

What goes through the mind of the award-winning young soprano Nombulelo Yende as she steps onto the stage at Oper Frankfurt for a major role debut with just a few rehearsals? Nina Brazier chats to her before rehearsals begin, and in her dressing room during a performance. Meanwhile, internationally acclaimed alumna of the Oper Frankfurt Studio, Mez…

On track to becoming a doctor in Mexico and finding opera as something ‘for old people’, Leonardo Sanchez made an unexpected career pivot and discovered that singing opera really could be a viable career choice. So how have the first steps in opera been for this emerging tenor? How has he squared reality and against his own high expectations? We he…

From one young singer who left her academy without permission to sing at her audition in Valencia, to another being interrupted in his dressing room by the artistic director of Teatro Real, we hear the unusual journeys of three young artists at the Centre de Perfeccionament, Palau de les Arts in Valencia. We have conversations on how to perform you…

Four Young Artists from Oper Frankfurt’s Opera Studio share their stories – from their first auditions in front of the Intendant Bernd Loebe, and on to negotiating their way through the early months of the programme and taking on major roles in mainstage productions. Along the way they explore how to filter the very best advice from experts, discov…

We head to the Rossini Opera Festival to join the Accademia Rossiniana “Alberto Zedda” Young Artist Programme, where we follow the journeys of four singers as they dedicate themselves to the portrayal of Rossini’s works, and fully-stage a production of Il Viaggio a Reims. We hear about their early goals, the challenges they face, and the lessons th…

We head to Rome for the inaugural academy of Opera for Peace, the emerging artist programme which aims to level the playing field for emerging opera singers from all countries, backgrounds and circumstances. We meet four of their emerging singers and learn how they are applying what they learned, approaching auditions, and dealing with comparison w…

From one young soprano making audition videos in a shelter in Kyiv while the war swept through Ukraine, to another using an international singing competition to showcase her talent, we meet emerging artists from four leading young artist programmes across Europe. In this episode, we dip into each programme, from Opera for Peace in Rome, to the Ross…

Charting the journeys of singers on four competitive young artist programmes across Europe. From masterclasses and performances, to rehearsal rooms and dressing rooms, we hear the motivations, desires and the challenges they face - along with insight from experts on how they are nurturing the next generation of opera talent.…