FESTIVAL ARTIST PROGRAM 2026

Applications for the 2026 season ARE available via YAPTracker.

Information about auditions and applications for the 2026 season via YAPTracker

Opera Saratoga’s Festival Artist Program announces auditions for the 2026 season, the company’s 65th anniversary.  The second-oldest training program in the country, Opera Saratoga offers opportunities for singers, directors, conductors, and pianists.  Alumni are singing around the world, at fests in Europe, participating in the Met Lindemann Program, Merola, and LA Opera young artist program, to name a few, as well as performing at the Met and other major US houses.  Universal Preservation Hall, our performance venue, has the intimacy of a European house with audience on 3 sides; Festival Artists sing virtually all of the mainstage roles as part of a tight ensemble.

Last season guest teachers and artists included tenor Peter Kazaras (formerly of UCLA and Seattle Opera), director John Matsumoto Giampietro (Juilliard), conductor Adam Turner (Virginia Opera), conductor Juliane Gallant (Calgary Philharmonic), French diction coach Bénédicte Jourdois (Metropolitan Opera, Juilliard), dialogue coach Annie Shikany (Juilliard), choreographer and movement coach Caili Quan (NYC Ballet, Juilliard), and Festival Artist program alumnus Jarrett Logan Porter (Oper Frankfurt).  The Festival Artist program is overseen by General and Artistic Director Mary Birnbaum (Juilliard) and Program Director and Head of Music Staff Laurie Rogers (Peabody Institute).

We are looking for a versatile group of singers who are also fabulous storytellers and actors to bring our season to life, as well as Directing, Conducting, and Pianist/Coach fellows who are a critical part of the artistic team for each production.  As well as mainstage performances, Festival Artists participate in concerts, our annual gala, master classes, and community engagement events.  

Assignments are customized for each artist in the program based on their unique talents and individual stage of development; Festival Artists will be housed in the Saratoga Springs area. 

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Founded originally as the Lake George Opera Festival in 1962, Opera Saratoga is now located in Saratoga Springs, New York.  The company is home of the second oldest young artist program in the country, with alumni singing around the world.  Laurie Rogers, Director of the Festival Artist Program and Head of Music Staff, works closely with Artistic and General Director Mary Birnbaum to customize assignments for each artist in the program based on their unique talents and individual stage of development. 

PROGRAM DATES:  The 2026 Summer Festival is scheduled to run from May 18-June 28, 2026.  Artists will arrive in Saratoga on May 18. Please do not apply for the program if you are not available during this span of time. Releases are generally not granted due to the heavy nature of the schedule.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: The program at Opera Saratoga is focused primarily on honing performance skills and providing emerging artists with professional development opportunities. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and emerging professionals are all welcome to apply. Each artist receives a customized assignment for the summer. While there is no age limit for the program, participating artists are generally in their 20s to early 30s. 

SINGERS: Festival Artists are cast in select principal, supporting and comprimario roles; cover all principal, supporting and comprimario roles; and sing chorus in main stage repertoire. Festival Artists also perform in concerts, and participate in coachings and master classes with music staff and guest artists. In addition, Festival Artists have the opportunity to audition for other company leaders and artist managers. In past seasons, Festival Artists have sung principal roles in every mainstage production, including Norina, Ernesto and Malatesta in DON PASQUALE, every role in COSÌ FAN TUTTE except Don Alfonso, and Sky Masterson in GUYS AND DOLLS, to name a few opportunities.

PIANISTS/COACHES: Pianists are required to learn all mainstage repertoire, and will have the opportunity to play for mainstage rehearsals, cover rehearsals, and coachings. Pianists will participate in public concerts and play for community outreach events. They will also have the opportunity to gain practical coaching experience as well as to receive career guidance under the guidance of Opera Saratoga's artistic staff.

CONDUCTORS: Conducting Fellows have the opportunity to serve as the assistant conductor on a mainstage production, as well as to observe rehearsals of other productions. Conducting Fellows will also have the opportunity to gain practical coaching experience, and will receive professional career guidance from the conductors who will be in residence with Opera Saratoga for the summer.

DIRECTORS: Directing Fellows have the opportunity to serve as the assistant director on a mainstage production, as well as to observe rehearsals of other productions. Directing Fellows will also have the opportunity to gain practical coaching experience, and will receive professional career guidance from the directors who will be in residence with Opera Saratoga for the summer.

COMMITMENT TO CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES: Opera Saratoga's commitment to members of the Festival Artist Program extends past their residency with us. Alumni of the program are regularly invited to return to Opera Saratoga as principal guest artists, and are also recommended regularly to other organizations for professional opportunities. 

Opera Saratoga is an Equal Opportunity Employer, recognizing that the more inclusive we are, the stronger our company and productions will be. Candidates for employment are considered without regard to race, color, sex, creed, religion, national origin, sexual preference, gender identity, age, non-job-related disability, or marital status. 

Repertoire for the 2026 Festival will include L'ELISIR D'AMORE (Donizetti/Romani), MY FAIR LADY (Lerner/Loewe), the workshop production of DRIFT (Weinberg/Barizo), to be premiered in the 2027 season; and HAPPY END (Weill/Brecht/Hauptmann) in co-production with Glimmerglass Opera to be performed pre-season, as well as other concert and performing opportunities. The majority of the principal roles, as well as the supporting roles and covers, will be cast from the Festival Artist Program. 

In addition, we will be producing Joe Illick and Mark Campbell's STONE SOUP as our touring educational opera between 2/24 and 3/28, 2026.   

COMPENSATION

Payment is provided. Weekly stipends have increased this season to $600 for each artist. Returning Festival Artists in their 2nd year will receive a weekly stipend of $640.

Opera Saratoga also provides a transportation stipend, a weekly gas stipend to those who drive, transportation options to those without a car, and shared-accommodation housing in the Saratoga Springs area.

Please note that Opera Saratoga only provides housing to participants and does not provide housing to spouses/partners, children, other relatives and/or pets. Please also note that Opera Saratoga's rehearsal and performance locations are spread out in a rural environment, and housing is several miles from our facilities. You will need to have a car or make other arrangements for transportation while in residence at Opera Saratoga, as public transportation does not provide access to our venues.

CITIZENSHIP

Non US citizens must be able to demonstrate work eligibility. Citizens from other countries who are studying at Music Conservatories in the United States are encouraged to apply. Foreign applicants must have the requisite US training or working permissions to participate in the program. Opera Saratoga will not be responsible for obtaining the paperwork necessary to participate in this program. We request that applicants confirm in advance that they are eligible to apply to the program.