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Monday, July 21 - Saturday, August 9, 2025

We are seeking future change-makers in the field of opera. Our program uses improvisation and critical inquiry to build skills in vocal and theatrical performance, Citizen Artistry, and the agency needed for singers to direct their own career paths and effectively express their own ideas.  

The 2025 program is open to high school singers from around the country (and beyond!) who are eager to examine their own potential as artists, creators, collaborators, and changemakers alongside their fellow students and our incredible faculty. The program will be held at the REACH at the Kennedy Center.

The 2025 program will include:

• Vocal Training: Voice lessons, coachings, and master classes
• Improvisation: Theatrical, musical, and movement
• Theatrical Training: Instruction in fundamental aspects of acting and theater
• Repertoire: The opportunity to explore varied and diverse repertoire appropriate for teenaged voices. Students may be assigned music anywhere from the Baroque to the modern period, up to and including work by living composers.
• Citizen Artistry: Exploring the connections between one’s art, values, and communities
• College and Career Skills: Practical information sessions on auditions, college applications, and navigating the professional world
• Student-Driven Performances: Our students understand that they must create the change—and the art—they want to see in the world. With an understanding that successful 21^st-Century artists use a broad toolbox of skills as collaborators, contributors, and producers of their own creative projects, students will co-create unique performances with guidance from Institute faculty. These performances will include:
• Friday, August 1, 2025*: Improv and Opera Scenes: Students will present a show of improvised music and theater games alongside scenes from both modern and traditionally performed operas
• Friday, August 8 and Saturday, August 9, 2025*: Art Song Showcase: Students will perform an opera co-created with one another and faculty during the course of the Institute, connecting art songs with their own writing and improvisation

*Performance dates are subject to change.

The WNO Institute’s goal is to nurture aspiring singers to build the skills and knowledge they need to have agency over their own careers as not just performers, but as fully formed artists. The Institute recognizes the need to support young people’s exciting, individual voices and their ability to shape the future of the field. High school students from around the country (and beyond!) come to the campus of the national performing arts center in the nation’s capital to study the fundamentals of theatrical and vocal performance alongside practical aspects of a career in the arts. With a focus on improvising and co-creating works, students are expected to take ownership over their performances and to contribute to every aspect of what they will present to audiences.

An important aspect of preparing students for the modern opera world is WNO’s focus on relevant and balanced repertoire appropriate for developing voices. The Institute embraces the work of frequently performed composers such as Mozart, Donizetti, Purcell, and Offenbach alongside sometimes overlooked American masters, such as Scott Joplin, Margaret Bonds, and Florence Price; and contemporary voices, such as Jasmine Barnes, B.E. Boykin, Cynthia Cozette Lee, and more. Understanding the contemporary alongside the classics prepares students for a dynamic opera industry that is increasingly embracing diverse styles and new creations while keeping its historical traditions alive.

Application Deadline: January 20, 2025

No live auditions will be held this year. All students must upload audition videos as part of their online application.

Program Application

Application requirements for the 2025 program include

• Audition videos (see details below)
• Online application form
• Improv Exercise (see details below)
• Contact information for one reference
• Résumé (optional)
• $25 application fee

*Contact us if you need to request a fee waiver due to financial circumstances. We will be glad to work with you.

Audition Information

Students eligible to audition should be in grades 9-12 in the 2024-2025 school year, currently engaged in vocal study, and interested in both continuing studying voice in college and in Citizen Artistry. (Students graduating high school in 2025 are welcome to apply).

Past participants who are still in high school in the 2024-2025 school year are welcome to apply.

Audition Requirements

Repertoire: Two selections:

• Selection 1: An art song in any language. Choose a song that shows your voice at its best. This selection should be memorized and performed with piano accompaniment (live or using a recorded track).
• Selection 2: A song that tells us something about who you are or what is important to you. This song can be a second art song or a piece from any other genre (musical theater, pop styles, gospel, folk songs, your own composition, etc.). If possible, please perform with accompaniment (live or a recorded track). You will be asked to include a few sentences about why you chose this selection as part of your application.

Improv and Movement: Students will be asked to submit two short videos of improvisation and movement exercises.

We are not expecting students to be skilled in improvising (yet!), but we are looking for students who are willing to play, to fail, to step outside the box, and to develop multiple aspects of their creativity. See the application for full details.

Tuition & Scholarships

Tuition: $1800

Housing (optional): $1500

Students utilizing housing will be housed in a triple occupancy hotel room with 2 beds and a fold-out couch. Students will be responsible for their own meals, which they may prepare in their in-room kitchenette. Meals are also available for purchase at the Kennedy Center canteen.

Housing is located within a convenient 15-minute walk from the Center. ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp shuttle stop is also available by the Foggy Bottom Metro stop and runs on a 15-minute rotation schedule.

Opera institute students will be supervised by college-aged Resident Assistants who will be staying in the same hotel.

You have the option to commute if you live within a convenient distance to the Center, or you may provide your own housing if you choose to do so, at your own expense.

Financial Aid

WNO Opera Institute understands that the cost of training can be difficult for low- and middle-income families. WNO and the Kennedy Center are committed to working with students and families to make high-level music education affordable for all, regardless of their financial situation. If the above cost is prohibitive, please indicate your interest in financial assistance in your application. Scholarships, fee waivers, and other support are available to any student accepted to our program. We will be glad to work with you on an individual basis. Contact [email protected] with questions.

Resources

We want all applicants to be able to create strong materials, now and for future auditions. Please see the resources below, and reach out to [email protected] with questions.

• Video auditions: Please see our list of tips for creating a strong video audition here.
• Repertoire and more: We encourage students to consider repertoire from living composers as well as historically excluded or underrepresented composers and authors. Please see our list of resources for repertoire and more here.

Please contact us if you are interested in applying but may have difficulty in meeting these requirements.

Video Submission Requirements

• Videos should be submitted as unlisted YouTube links
• You may submit one video with both selections or two separate videos
• Please announce your name and the title and composer of your selection at the beginning of your video
• Plan ahead whenever possible! Use our video audition tips for assistance

Accessibility

²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp welcomes all applicants. If you have questions about accessibility or accommodations, you may contact the Office of Accessibility directly at (202) 416-8727 (voice) or [email protected].

When is the program? Can I attend only a portion of the program?

The 2025 Opera Institute runs from July 21 - August 9, 2025. Students committed to the program are required to attend and fully participate for the three weeks.

Who should apply to the program?

Students currently in grades 9-12 are eligible to apply (students who will graduate high school at the end of this school year are welcome). Past participants are also welcome to apply. Most participants are in the upper grades of high school. Students should be interested not only in vocal performance and Citizen Artistry, but other aspects of opera including theater, improvisation, movement, and more. Improvisation, both theatrical and musical, is a core component of the Institute.

What is the available housing for students who do not live locally?

Students utilizing housing will be housed in a triple occupancy hotel room with two beds and a fold-out couch. Housing is located within a convenient 15-minute walk from the Center. ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÃâ·Ñ°æapp shuttle is also available by the Foggy Bottom-GWU metro station and runs on a 15-minute rotation schedule. Opera Institute students will be supervised by college-aged Resident Assistants who will be staying in the same hotel. Students will be responsible for their own meals, which they may prepare in their in-room kitchenette. Meals are also available for purchase at the Kennedy Center canteen. You have the option to commute if you live within a convenient distance to the Center, or you may provide your own housing if you choose to do so, at your own expense.

Where does the WNO Opera Institute take place?

All Institute classes and rehearsals take place in various locations in the REACH at the Kennedy Center. One day each summer we also have a “Takoma Day” in which the program is held the WNO rehearsal studios in the Takoma neighborhood of Washington, DC.

When are admissions decisions made?

Applications are due January 20, 2025. Admissions decisions will be released in March 2025.

Is there a waitlist?

There is a waitlist. Students who are selected for the waitlist will be notified of their status and placement when admission decisions are shared in March. If spaces become available in the program, then students on the waitlist will be contacted and notified of their acceptance. Students can be accepted at any point after initial admissions decisions go out, but most acceptances occur between March and mid-April.

May I include supplemental information about my musical and/or personal accomplishments?

In addition to the required components (audition videos, online application form, improv exercise, and contact information for one reference), you are welcome to submit a résumé if you would like.

Are international students eligible to apply for the WNO Opera Institute?

International students are eligible to apply. All visa needs are the responsibility of the applicant.

Does my audition video need to be done in one take?

Individual components of the audition can be filmed in separate videos. Auditions must be submitted as unlisted YouTube links and can be formatted as either one video including both selections or two separate videos.

What music does the WNO Opera Institute perform?

WNOI focuses on providing students with relevant and balanced repertoire appropriate for developing voices. We also strive to pull repertoire from a wide variety of composers. Past selections include:

• “Oh, What Pain Now Feels My Heart!” from L’amant Anonyme (1780): Music by Chevalier de Saint Georges, Libretto by Desfontaines-Lavalée
•  “Bei Männern” from The Magic Flute (1791): Music by W.A. Mozart, Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
• “Knot that Needs Untying” from La Cenerentola (1817): Music by Gioachino Rossini, Libretto by Jacopo Ferretti
• “And did you Hear” from Eugene Onegin (1879): Music and Libretto by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky
• “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” from Alice in Wonderland (2007): Music by Unsuk Chin, Libretto co-written by Unsuk Chin and David Henry Hwang
• “Avert These Omens” (1743), composed by George Frideric Händel
• “Evening” (1921), composed by Charles Ives with text by John Milton
• “Now the Leaves are Falling Fast” (1938), composed by Benjamin Britten with text by Wystan Hugh Auden
• “Satisfaction” (1996), composed by William Bolcom with text by Arnold Weinstein
• “Refusal” (2017), composed by B.E. Boykin with text by Maya Angelou

What does the WNO Opera Institute schedule look like?

The Opera Institute schedule will vary slightly from year to year. Click here to see a sample schedule based on past years.

What are the fees/costs for this program?

The tuition for this program is $1800, and housing is $1500. Additionally, students are responsible for their own meals over the course of the program, and for providing their own transportation to and from Washington, DC. There is also a $25 application fee that is due at the time of application submission.

What kind of financial aid is available?

WNO and the Kennedy Center are committed to working with students and families to make high-level music education affordable for all, regardless of their financial situation. If the costs of the program are prohibitive, please indicate your interest in financial assistance in your application. Scholarships, fee waivers, and other support are available to any student accepted into our program, and we will be glad to work with you on an individual basis. Contact [email protected] with any questions.

• Phone: 202.416.8846
• Email: [email protected]

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Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;

Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; Wells Fargo; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..

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