The Festival Artist Program at Opera Saratoga is the 2nd oldest singer training program in the country! Opera Saratoga was founded as Lake George Opera but was renamed in 2011 to reflect residency and identity in the Saratoga Springs community. Beginning in 2023, our Young Artist program was renamed the “Festival Artist” program to better recognize the broad scope of singers who participate each year.

The core of every Festival Artist’s experience is participation in our mainstage productions, including leading, supporting, comprimario, cover, and ensemble roles. There are additional opportunities for concerts and recitals as well as other public and private events.  Each artist has a patron sponsor and many have developed unique and meaninigful long-term friendships with their sponsors.  [One of our Young Artists even got married at Yaddo in Saratoga the day after the season ended!]

Festival Artists Program Director Laurie Rogers works together with Artistic and General Director Mary Birnbaum to create meaningful assignments for each Festival Artist, recognizing that each singer, pianist, conductor and director brings a unique set of personal skills and assets which contribute to the company’s success each summer.  Read more about Mary and Laurie here.

A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

Members of the cast of the 2023 production of A GENTLEMANS GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER.

Opera Saratoga is committed especially to 21st century repertoire, and has produced several world premieres including:

• Ricky Ian Gordon’s ELLEN WEST

• Jeremy Howard Beck’s THE LONG WALK

• Clarice Assad’s THE SELFISH GIANT

• Ned Rorem’s OUR TOWN

The company has recorded Marc Blitzstein’s THE CRADLE WILL ROCK in the original orchestration, conducted by internationally-renowned Maestro John Mauceri, and presented HANSEL & GRETEL in a production created  by Chicago-based theater company Manual Cinema.  Additionally, the company is committed to re-engaging alumni in principal roles, including Meghan Kasanders as Magda Sorel in THE CONSUL, Kelly Glyptis as Aldonza in MAN OF LA MANCHA, Andy Papas as the title role in DON PASQUALE, and Eric McConnell as the D’Ysquith Family in A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER.

Recent all-Festival Artist productions have included HANSEL & GRETEL and MOZART & SALIERI, as well as Telemann’s DON QUIXOTE AT CAMACHO’S WEDDING and Clarice Assad’s THE SELFISH GIANT.

 The company also supports an educational tour in the spring and engages Festival Artists in the off-season for concerts and other events.

Career development opportunities include annual industry auditions for visiting company artistic leaders, artist managers, conductors, and directors; master classes with guest artists (recently including Broadway conductor Laura Bergquist, artist manager Ana de Archuleta, Metropolitan Opera baritone Michael Chioldi, Metropolitan Opera French diction coach Bénédicte Jourdois, former Laffont Competition Associate Director Brady Walsh, and Chicago Opera Theater musical director Lidiya Yankovskaya.  Additional training opportunities include financial planning seminars and a partnership with Opera America’s career development program.

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. 

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 orientation, gender identity, age, 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.
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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.