Career Blueprints Application 2025

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Participants in Career Blueprints for Singers receive new headshots, high-def video recordings, a feedback audition session, and instruction about financial management and website design. Singers will have discussions about artist representation, auditioning and working in Europe, and other topics.

Singers will register and submit three recent video recordings in advance for pre-screening.

A pianist will be provided for the video recording and feedback audition sessions.

Eligibility: Min. age 18 years. No upper age limit. Video submissions must be from within the previous twelve months. Singers will be notified of their participation status by Wednesday, January 29, via YAP Tracker.

There is no application fee. Approximately 15 singers will be chosen to participate. OPERA America members who are chosen to participate will pay $75. Non-members who are chosen to participate will pay $150, which includes a 12-month membership, valued at $75.

Please note that participants will need to be available for the entire program oeriod Wednesday through Saturday, Mar. 19 - 22, 2025. Please email us at artisitc@operaamerica.org if your availability changes. If you are chosen for Career Blueprints, you will be responsible for your own transportation to and from the National Opera Center at 330 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001. Participants will also be required to provide their own lodging while in New York City Wednesday through Saturday, Mar. 19 - 22, 2025. There are a handful of housing and travel stipends available. Please indicate on the application if you will not be able to participate if you do not receive travel and housing assistance. Travel and housing assistance is not guaranteed.

We will ask for participants' video recording session repertoire and feedback audition repertoire by Fri., Feb. 28, to give our accompanists time to review it.

Pre-screening Questions

Please answer the following questions:

First Name*

Last Name*

E-mail address*

Cell Phone number*

No spaces, dashes etc. phone number fields

Identity (Optional)

To better understand the demographics of OPERA America's applicant pool and evaluate the impact of our programs, we invite you to optionally select all of the terms that you use to self-identify racially or ethnically and in regard to gender identity. You will also have the opportunity to write-in additional or alternate responses in the "Additional" category. The choices below are not exhaustive or intended to be limiting or prescriptive.

OPERA America does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and gender identity, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other status protected under federal, state or local law. This Voluntary Demographic Information is for data purposes only and will not be used in the awarding of auditions.

Racial and Ethnic Identity Definitions
-Black - includes those who identify with nationalities or ethnic groups originating in any of the Black racial groups of Africa including African American and Caribbean.
-Latinx - includes those who identify with nationalities or ethnic groups originating in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South America, and other Spanish cultures.
-Asian - includes those who identify with nationalities or ethnic groups originating in the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
-Arab – includes those who identify with one or more nationalities originating in the Arabian peninsula and neighboring territories, inhabiting much of the Middle East and North Africa.
-Native American – includes those who identify as Indigenous peoples, First Nations, Aboriginal peoples, and/or Native peoples of the Americas with tribal affiliation or community attachment.
-White - includes those who identify with nationalities or ethnic groups originating in Europe.

Please select all that apply.

Alaskan Native/American Indian/Native American/Indigenous

Arab/Middle Eastern/North African

Asian

Black

Hispanic/Latinx

Pacific Islander

White

Additional

If you selected "Additional" from the checklist above, please write in alternate or additional words that describe how this artist identifies racially and ethnically.

Gender Identity

To better understand the demographics of OPERA America's applicant pool, we invite you to optionally provide gender identity.

Intersex

Man

Non-binary

Transgender

Woman

Additional

Applicant Gender Identity

If you selected "Additional" from the checklist above, please write in alternate or additional words that describe your gender identity.

Applicant Gender Pronouns

Please share the pronouns you use in reference to yourself (e.g., she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/their, ze/hir/hir, she/they, he/they).

Voice Category*

Please see the chart. We are using the National Association of Teachers of Singing Voice Categories)

Audition Category Terminology

CATEGORY

Categories are defined by voice type.

Treble: Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto, Countertenor Voices 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11

TBB: Tenor, Baritone, Bass Voices 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

CATEGORY

NUMBERS

Categories numbers also reflect the singer’s level of study.

Children–Middle School 1 & 2, N/A for these auditions

High School (HS) 3 & 4, N/A for these auditions

Lower: one–two years post-HS 5 & 6,

Upper: three–five years post-HS 7 & 8,

Advanced: post-undergraduate 9 & 10,

Other Adults 11 & 12

For a chart visualization of the categories, please click here.

For Example: I am a countertenor who took a break to work for two years after high school. I returned and started my undergrad degree in voice performance at age 20. I am in my first year of college study. I would be CL 5.

If I am a tenor who finished my formal vocal training years ago. I would be CL 12.

Locality

What is your home mailing address?

Street address*

Apt. /Unit #

Town/City*

State*

Zip Code/Post Code*

If you are enrolled in an educational institution, please list the institution’s name, address, and the program in which you are enrolled:

Resume and Bio

Please include a one-page resume and a one-page bio.

Please include a resume*

You must be signed in to add your resume.

Bio*

Number of documents required: 1.

You must be signed in to add your resume.

Headshot

Please include a recent headshot/photograph*

You must be signed in to add your headshot.

Website

Applicant’s website’s url:

Management

Do you have artist management?*

Yes

If yes, please list the name of your management agency

Recordings

Media Requirements -three recent video recordings in advance for pre-screening. Two of the videos are opera arias in two different languages. The third video is of an oratorio aria, an art song, a folk song, an African American spiritual or another solo vocal selction, with or without accompaniment, that broadens the field of vocal classical music and/or connects underrepresented groups with opera and/or is significant to the artist. It could be vocal selection with texts and/or music by a non-binary person. It could be a song in a Native American tongue, Ukrainian, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, Ibo, Polish, Creole, Swahili, Hebrew, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, etc. It could be an African American Spiritual, etc. And/or it might be about a topic that’s important to the singer, like climate change, racial justice, women’s rights, etc. The possibilities are endless! Artists will please provide OPERA America with the URL where we might purchase the sheet music if the piece is not widely known. Also, if the piece is not in English, please provide the English translation.*

Two videos of opera arias in different languages

Video of a third selection that is an art song, oratorio aria, folk song, etc., that helps to broaden the field of vocal classical music and is significant to the applicant. In honor of the 2024 World Opera Forum and OA's effort to move opera forward, and in recognition that singers typically perform a mix of operatic engagements and concert work throughout their careers, applicants will be asked to submit 2 opera arias of different languages and a third piece (oratorio, art song, or folk song) that broadens the canon, connects underrepresented groups with opera and/or is significant to the artist. It could be vocal selection with texts and/or music by a non-binary person. It could be a song in a Native American tongue, Ukrainian, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, Ibo, Polish, Creole, Swahili, Hebrew, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, etc. It could be an African American Spiritual, etc. And/or it might be about a topic that’s important to the singer, like climate change, racial justice, women’s rights, etc. The possibilities are endless! Artists will please provide OPERA America with the URL where we might purchase the sheet music if not widely known. Also, if the piece is not in English, please provide the English translation.

Number of selections required: 3.

You must be signed in to add videos.

Aria/Song Selections in your videos: *

Number of selections required: 3.

Selection 1

Selection 2

Selection 3

English Translation

Please include an English translation of your third piece, if applicable. Maximum number of documents permitted: 1

You must be signed in to add your resume.

Sheet Music URL

Artists will please provide OPERA America with the URL where we might purchase the sheet music if not widely known.

Essay

Applicants are asked to write up to a 400- word essay (which can also be submitted as a video recording, if you prefer) telling

A) what this opportunity would mean for your career and

B) how the third repertoire selection is significant to you or how it broadens the canon and why you included it.

You must upload either a video or written essay to complete the requirement or the form will not submit.

Written Essay*

Number of documents required: 1.

You must be signed in to add your resume.

Video Essay*

Number of selections required: 1.

You must be signed in to add videos.

Additional Questions

How did you learn about this opportunity?*

Please select all that apply:

OPERA America Website

YAP Tracker

Teacher Recommendation

Social Media

Other

Please Specify

Are you applying for a travel and housing stipend to participate in Career Blueprints for Singers?*

Yes

If you answered yes*

From which city/state/country would you be travelling on Wed., 3/19, to participate in Career Blueprints for Singers?

If you answered yes (continued)*

To which city/state/country would you be returning on Sat., 3/22, after the program?

If you answered no*

If you do not receive a travel/housing stipend, would you still be able to come to NYC to participate in the program or would you be prevented from participating in the program?

I would still be able to come and participate.

I would not be able to participate.