Virginia Opera Herndon Foundation emerging artists

The Virginia Opera Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist Program has produced a group of rising stars quickly making a place for themselves in the world of opera.

Each year, hundreds of hopeful young singers submit applications to Young Artist Programs across the country.  Virginia Opera receives over 700 applications.  From that pool of hopefuls only 12-15 are chosen.  Those young singers are welcomed to Virginia Opera as stars of the education tour operas and “cover” and secondary role artists for mainstage presentations.  Long hours spent in rehearsal, travel, and performances at Virginia Opera’s three mainstage venues in Hampton Roads, Central Virginia and Northern Virginia prepare young artists for the marathon life of a professional opera singer.

The artists selected to perform as stars of the in-school education tour spend three months navigating the Commonwealth of Virginia, performing 2 operas a day, for students ages 6 to 18.  Their schedules also include guest appearances at community events, “pop-up” performances, and various media outlets.

This summer recent Virginia Opera Emerging Artists will captivate opera lovers in prominent roles at some of the most prestigious opera Festivals in the country.  Santa Fe Opera will feature four former Virginia Opera Herndon Foundation Emerging Artists, Kristen Choi, Adrian Smith, Benjamin Werley, and Alyssa Martin in productions of La Fanciulla del West, Romeo and Juliet and Capriccio.

The Glimmerglass Festival will present Virginia Opera Emerging Artist alumnus, Hunter Enoch in the role of Marcello in La Bohème.  Courtney Miller and Martin Bakari are spending their summer at Opera Saratoga performing roles in The Marriage of Figaro, The Witches of Venice and Il Postino.  In this summer’s upcoming production of Falstaff, Des Moines Metro Opera will host Matt Scollin as Pistola and Megan Marino as Meg Page.

For these young artists, having a “real job” this summer is a dream come true.  Working for top American Opera Festivals and learning from their veteran colleagues is the priceless opportunity for which they have been training many years.

They look forward to the eventual return to the company that helped shape their future, this time singing leading roles, at Virginia Opera.