What is the structure of the Training Programme? Expand The NOS runs a nine-month full-time Young Artists' Programme which begins in September each year. The Programme is open to singers and répétiteurs. All Young Artists benefit from: intensive one-to-one coaching; close links with the six main UK opera companies who monitor Young Artists’ progress throughout the Programme; a strong emphasis on ensemble work; regular acting and movement sessions; professional coaches drawn from British and European opera houses; individual coaching in Italian, French and German; sessions on professional resilience; and much more. Please see the Training Programme section of the website for more details.
Can anyone apply? Expand Yes. The application process is completely open to those aged 18 and above. There is no upper age restriction for applying to the NOS. However, applicants are reminded that the Young Artists' Programme is very intensive and is intended to benefit extremely gifted singers and répétiteurs who are at the beginning of their professional operatic careers. Although it is not a formal requirement, applicants are expected to have a great deal of performance experience and to have been training, in some form, for a number of years.
How many people apply, and for how many places? Expand We receive over 250 audition applications per year. Around 40–50 singers progress to the final round. We can accept a maximum of 12 singers and 4 répétiteurs onto the Young Artists' Programme each year.
Will I have to pay to train at the NOS? Expand Young Artists do not pay fees to train at the National Opera Studio. The cost of training is generously covered by NOS donors, supporters and stakeholders. However, successful applicants will be expected to cover the cost of living in London for nine months during the Young Artists' Programme. London living costs are high, and as such you are advised to think seriously about your ability to support yourself during the Programme. As the Programme is full-time 5 days a week, it is very difficult for Young Artists to undertake regular paid employment. Your ability to undertake paid employment may also be affected by your residency status. The NOS has a limited Bursary Fund which is available to those in need of financial assistance. Upon a formal offer of a place, NOS Chief Executive Emily Gottlieb will discuss eligibility.
Do applicants need permission to work in the UK to apply? Expand There is no obligation to have permission to work in the UK in order to apply to the NOS. However, if you do not hold a valid UK or EU passport, you will need a visa to enter the UK and to take up your place at the NOS. Please be aware that the Home Office/UK Border Agency has rigorous conditions that need to be met before the necessary visa will be issued. Without this, you will not be able to take up your place at the NOS. If you are offered a place on the Programme and need a visa, the offer will be conditional and will only be confirmed if you are able to secure the necessary visa by 1st August 2018. For more information on visas see the relevant page on our website or visit www.gov.uk/apply-uk-visa
If I get offered a place, what kind of visa will I need? Expand The NOS is not an accredited educational establishment, and a Tier 4 Student visa is not applicable. Should you be offered a place at the NOS, you will need to apply for a Tier 1 ‘Exceptional Talent’ visa. Under this visa, you will need to be endorsed as an emerging leader (exceptional promise) in the field of the arts. See the following guidance for more information: visa information
What material is needed to apply? Expand All applications need to be submitted through YAP Tracker. For this, you will need to give us: your contact information; information about your education history; information about your singing / music experience and teachers; the names and contact details of two referees who have confirmed that they are happy to write a reference for you; one headshot which you can upload online.
Will I need to pay an audition fee? Expand Yes. There is a fee of £75 which must be paid as part of your application. This fee covers all rounds of the auditions. Should you be invited to the Final Round of auditions, there will be no further costs. The fee also includes your audition accompanist.
Do all applicants pay a fee? Expand Yes. All applicants pay the same fee. That includes singers and répétiteurs, both applying from within the EEA and outside of the EEA.
Why do you charge a fee? Expand The National Opera Studio is a non-profit organisation and a registered charity (charity number 274755), and the time and costs of organising a fair and open audition process are considerable. The NOS holds hundreds of live auditions each year, and we try to provide as much help as we can to applicants, doing our best to accommodate their specific requests and scheduling needs, particularly when illness or travel delays disrupt the schedule. This makes the administration of auditions complicated and time-consuming. The NOS has a very small administrative staff, so the extensive work involved in the audition process directly affects the number of staff we need to employ. The NOS provides a highly qualified and experienced accompanist for all auditions, and this is included in the fee.
How do I get to the YAP Tracker website? Expand A link will appear on our website when the applications open on Wednesday 11th October 2017.
Do I need a YAP Tracker membership to apply? Expand Free ‘guest’ memberships are available on YAP Tracker for those who only wish to have access to the NOS’ application form. You can use your free ‘guest’ membership account to apply to the NOS, but you will not have access to listings / opportunities from other companies on YAP Tracker. When you sign up for the free ‘guest’ membership, you will be given a username and password to use every time you want to look at the status of your NOS application. Follow this link to get started: www.yaptracker.com/register-applicant
Can I use my friend’s YAP Tracker account to apply? Expand No. YAP Tracker accounts cannot be shared or used by multiple people. The system prevents duplicate submissions from any one account. You can easily register for a free ‘guest’ membership on YAP Tracker which will allow you apply to the NOS. Follow this link to get started: www.yaptracker.com/register-applicant
How do I complete my YAP Tracker application? Expand Once you have registered on YAP Tracker, you can log in and view the NOS’ online application form. You then need to enter all the information you can provide into the form. The form also asks you to upload a headshot. At the bottom of the form, we ask for your debit/credit card information for the £75 fee (which will be taken from your card when you submit the online form). When you are sure everything is correct, click submit. After this, you will need to log back in to YAP Tracker regularly to check whether your referees have submitted their references for you.
What do I do if I have technical problems using YAP Tracker? Expand If you have problems uploading any part of your application or have other technical issues with YAP Tracker, please contact the YAP Tracker help team on [email protected]. We recommend that you give yourself plenty of time to submit your application before the deadline, just in case you experience technical difficulties.
Can I send my CV to the NOS? Expand Please don’t send additional materials such as CVs to the NOS. You will be able to give us all the information we need and upload your headshot in your YAP Tracker application. Additional materials will not be given to the panel.
Who should write my references? Expand References should be written by music or theatre professionals (for example: directors, agents, established singers, accompanists, heads of music colleges) but not your current singing teacher or any previous singing teachers.
How are the references submitted? Expand When completing the application form on YAP Tracker, you will need to provide the names and contact details of two referees who have agreed that they can provide a reference for you. When you submit your form, the YAP Tracker website will then automatically send an email to each referee asking them to upload a reference directly onto the YAP Tracker website. Please bear in mind when selecting your referees that references cannot be accepted in any other way.
What information should references contain? Expand References must be written specifically for your application to the NOS. They should ideally talk about the following: how the referee knows you and how long they have known you; their opinion on your career potential, stage presence, musicality, command of languages, reliability, learning speed and working relationships with colleagues.
How long do references need to be? Expand There is no word limit for references. However, as we receive so many applications, it helps if references are concise and relevant.
What language should references be in? Expand Where possible, references should be written in English. However, references in German, French or Italian will also be accepted.
When is the deadline for submitting references? Expand The deadline for your referees to submit a reference for you is Wednesday 10th January 2018 at 11:59pm. It is your responsibility to make sure that your referee has received the reference request and knows how to submit a reference for you. Make sure you remind them in plenty of time.
What if my referee doesn’t submit a reference in time? Expand If the reference doesn’t arrive in time, your audition will still go ahead as planned. However, because it is your responsibility to make sure that your referee has received the reference request and knows how to submit a reference for you before the deadline, ensuring you have both references will reflect well on you as a professional.
How do I book my audition slot? Expand If you are based in the UK or within the EEA, you will be given access to the NOS’ audition timetable on YAP Tracker shortly after you have submitted your application. Here, you will be able to pick one audition slot. Audition slots are given on a first-come, first-served basis, so we advise you to apply as early as you can, especially if you have limited availability during our First Round auditions period.