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San Francisco, CA USA

2011-2012

Merola Opera Program

Mozart's LA FINTA GIARDINIERA 

Argento's POSTCARD FROM MOROCCO 

SCENES PROGRAM with orchestra
Open to all voice types
Repertoire will be chosen to showcase these artists
All scenes staged  

MEROLA GRAND FINALE
A concert with all artists performed with orchestra on the stage of San Francisco Opera

Every singer will be cast in an opera or the scenes program

June 04, 2012 - August 19, 2012

San Francisco Opera Center, Sheri Greenawald, Director, under the auspices of the internationally renowned San Francisco Opera, David Gockley, General Director, and Nicola Luisotti, Music Director, offers a continuing sequence of performance and career development opportunities for the best young professional singers, coaches and stage directors. Successful auditionees are invited to participate in the Merola Opera Program, a summer program of performance and study. The Merola Opera Program is the entry-level program for all activities of the San Francisco Opera Center. Upon completion of the Merola Opera Program, selected artists are offered contracts for the prestigious Adler Fellowship (a renewable yearlong residency for singers and coaches) and Schwabacher Debut Recitals.

MEROLA OPERA PROGRAM
Singers will be invited to join this intensive summer training program held at San Francisco Opera, along with apprentice coaches and an apprentice stage director. An opera production, staged scenes program with orchestra, and concert with orchestra will be presented. Internationally renowned artists will conduct a series of master classes.

Each singer receives daily individual musical coaching, classes in diction, stage deportment, movement, make-up, languages and acting from a distinguished staff of specialists from San Francisco Opera. All singers are expected to perform in the chorus of the Merola summer opera productions.
 
Vocal excellence and potential, rather than voice type or casting for the Merola summer opera productions, will be the deciding factors in the audition committee’s choice of participants.
 
Participation in the Merola Opera Program requires proper, current U.S. Immigration Services authorization for non-U.S. citizens, valid through August 2012. 
 
ADLER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
(Resident Artists of San Francisco Opera)
Each year singers and pianists are chosen from the Merola Opera Program to join the prestigious Adler Fellowship Program. The Adler program gives 10-12 young artists a year a performance-oriented experience, providing individualized and advanced training. Adler Fellows are engaged for roles in San Francisco Opera’s season, as well as performing in Opera Center programs. The Adler Fellowship is a renewable yearlong residency and is a salaried position.  

SCHWABACHER DEBUT RECITALS
San Francisco Opera Center may engage singers for a debut recital to take place in the spring of 2013 at a San Francisco venue. These recitals have been endowed in perpetuity by the generosity of celebrated Bay Area singer, scholar and teacher James Schwabacher.

Please Note:  Applications must be submitted by dates posted. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Judges' forms and comments are the sole property of San Francisco Opera Center and will not be made available to applicants or auditionees. Finalist auditionees only may request feedback from the judges. Feedback is only provided at the judges' discretion.

The Merola Opera Program provides a weekly allowance, round-trip transportation from place of residence to San Francisco, and shared-accommodation housing. Please note: the Merola Opera Program only provides housing to participants and does not provide housing to spouse/partner, children, other relatives or pets.

For five years after leaving Merola, alumni may be eligible, with Merola's approval, to receive up to a total of $10,000 in career grants, with a maximum of $5,000 in any single year. 

San Francisco Opera Center
Auditions
301 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
merolaauditions@sfopera.com
call: 415-565-3277