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  1. Training
  2. FAQs for Singer Applications

FAQs for Singer Applications

Please find frequently asked questions about the application and audition procedure for singers applying for the 2019/20 Young Artists' Programme:

What is the structure of the Young Artists' Programme?

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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 your progress; 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 Programme page for more details.

Published: 1st January, 2016

Updated: 9th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Can anyone apply?

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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 careers in opera.

Published: 2nd January, 2016

Updated: 9th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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How many places are there?

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We can usually accept a maximum of 12 singers and 4 répétiteurs onto the Young Artists' Programme each year.

Published: 3rd January, 2016

Updated: 27th August, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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What happens if I am unwell on my audition day?

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You should call 020 8874 8811 or email [email protected] as soon as you feel that you may not be able to attend your audition. The more notice you can give us, the better. We will do our best to talk through options with you, but in some cases there will be nothing we can do and the audition will be treated as a cancellation.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 31st August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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How do applicants from non EEA countries get a visa to come the audition?

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The National Opera Studio does not handle visa applications. However, if you are applying for a visa to come to an audition in person, we can provide a Letter of Invitation to support your visa application.

This letter will also be provided for EU citizens following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, should this be necessary.

Please email [email protected] if you need a Letter of Invitation. 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 27th August, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Is there financial assistance for travelling to and from auditions?

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We regret that we are unable to offer any financial support with regard to travelling to and from auditions. 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Will I get feedback from my audition?

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Due to the number of auditions, we regret that we are unable to provide any feedback from the First Round.

Following the Final Round, written feedback will be offered to all unsuccessful Final Round auditionees within one calendar month of the results notification, if requested.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 10th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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How quickly will I find out about the result?

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After the First Round, you will be notified by email by 5.30pm on Friday 07 February 2020 whether or not you have been successful. If you are successful, you will be invited to a Final Round audition. 

After the Final Round, every effort will be made to notify you within one week (seven days) of the final audition date.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 12th September, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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How long will my audition be?

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Auditions can last up to 12 minutes in the First Round.  Final Round auditions may be slightly longer than 12 minutes. 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 12th September, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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What do I need to bring with me?

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Please make sure you bring a copy of all of your audition music. This should be prepared for the accompanist before you arrive at the NOS.  Please note that the panel will not receive a copy of your music.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 27th August, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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What do I wear to the audition?

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Please dress comfortably for your audition. Evening concert wear is not required.

Please bear in mind that what you wear can have an impact on the panel’s decision-making, so choose audition clothing that makes you feel comfortable and which does not impact on your performance. 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 12th September, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Can I bring my teacher, agent, family member or friend?

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Please do not bring anybody with you to your audition. The audition days are very busy and there is no space for anyone to sit and wait for you while you audition. If someone is travelling with you, please ask them to wait in one of the many nice cafés nearby! 

If you have access needs that require you to have another person in the room with you, please let us know in advance by emailing [email protected].

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 27th August, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Can I bring my own accompanist?

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The NOS will provide a highly qualified and experienced accompanist for all auditions. You will not be able to bring your own pianist for your audition or for your warm-up time. This is for the sake of consistency and to serve all applicants to the best of our ability, equally and without prejudice.

There will be no opportunity to rehearse with the audition accompanist. Please make sure you have a copy of all of your audition music prepared for the accompanist before you arrive at the NOS.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 27th August, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Can I sing the same repertoire in both rounds of auditions?

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Yes. If you are invited to a Final Round audition you may, if you wish, bring the same arias as the ones you brought to your First Round audition.

Remember, most of the Final Round audition panel will not have been present at your First Round audition.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 10th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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What repertoire do I need to prepare for the audition?

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For each round, you must bring at least three audition pieces, of which:

all should be opera (no song or oratorio)

at least two languages should be represented

at least one should be in English

at least one should be from a contemporary opera (post-1980)

You may, if you wish, bring additional arias (up to a maximum of five audition pieces) from which the panel may choose. You are welcome to bring a post-1980 English aria.

The panel may stop you during the performance of a particularly long aria so that they can hear another audition piece. 

Approximately one month before your audition, you will be contacted by the auditions administrator to see if you are bringing any unusual or ‘non-mainstream’ repertoire to your audition. This will be your opportunity to send a copy of this repertoire, to be passed on to the audition accompanist.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 10th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Who will be on the audition panel?

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The First Round panel will be made up of at least two members of the NOS Artistic Team, and at least one member of the artistic staff of one of our six partner opera companies on each day. The panel will consist of a minimum of three people. 

The Final Round panel will be made up of the NOS Artistic Team and representatives from each of our six partner opera companies: English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Opera North, the Royal Opera House, Scottish Opera and Welsh National Opera. The panel will consist of a minimum of nine people. 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 27th August, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Where do auditions take place?

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All rounds of auditions take place in the National Opera Studio's Blackburn Hall:

National Opera Studio
The Clore Building
2 Chapel Yard
Wandsworth High St.
London
SW18 4HZ

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 10th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Can I change my audition date and time?

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If you need to reschedule your First Round audition, you can do so by choosing any other available audition slot on YAP Tracker up until 11:59pm on Thursday 09 January 2020, at which point all audition times will be fixed. 

After this date, if you need to reschedule, please email [email protected]. If it is possible to accommodate your request, we will aim to do so at no extra cost to you. If it is impossible for us to reschedule your audition to a time that works for you, you must either keep your original time or cancel.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 27th August, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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How do I book my audition slot?

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If you have chosen a Live First Round Audition, you will be given access to the NOS audition timetable on YAP Tracker shortly after submitting 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.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 12th September, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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When is the deadline for submitting references?

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The deadline for your referees to submit a reference for you is Thursday 09 January 2020 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. Make sure to remind them in plenty of time. 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 27th August, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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What language should references be in?

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Where possible, references should be written in English. However, references in German, French, Italian or Russian will also be accepted.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 9th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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How long do references need to be?

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There is no word limit for references. However, as we receive so many applications, it helps if references are concise and relevant. 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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What information should references contain?

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References must be written specifically for your application to the NOS. They should ideally refer to the following:

  • how the referee knows you and how long they have known you
  • their opinion on your:
    • stage presence
    • musicality
    • command of languages
    • reliability
    • learning speed
    • working relationships with colleagues. 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 12th September, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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How are the references submitted?

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When completing the application form on YAP Tracker, you will need to provide the names and contact details of two referees who have agreed to provide a reference for you. When you submit your form, the YAP Tracker website will 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. 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 28th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Who should write my references?

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References should be written by music or theatre professionals (for example: directors, agents, established singers, accompanists, heads of departments), but not your current singing teacher or any previous singing teachers.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 12th September, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Can I send my CV to the NOS?

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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.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 9th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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What do I do if I have technical problems using YAP Tracker?

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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. 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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How do I complete my YAP Tracker application?

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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 £80 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.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 9th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Do I need a YAP Tracker membership to apply?

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You do not need to pay for a YAP Tracker membership in order to apply to the NOS.

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 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 9th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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How do I get on to the YAP Tracker website?

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A link will be published on the applications page when applications open on Monday 16 September 2019. 

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 12th September, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Will I need to pay an audition fee?

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Yes. There is a fee of £80 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.

Published: 1st March, 2018

Updated: 9th August, 2018

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Why do you charge a fee?

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The National Opera Studio is a non-profit organisation and a registered charity (charity number 274755). 

The NOS provides a highly-qualified and experienced accompanist for all auditions, and this is included in the fee. 

Published: 2nd March, 2018

Updated: 27th August, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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Should I arrive early for my audition?

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Please arrive 30 minutes before your booked audition time. You will be allocated a practice room in which to warm up for your audition, and given a slip of paper on which to write your aria choices for the use of the panel.

If auditions are running ahead of schedule, you may be called to your audition up to 15 minutes before your booked audition time. Please ensure that you are adequately warmed up and prepared by this time, just in case. 

In the unlikely event that auditions are running late, you will be kept regularly informed on the day.

Published: 4th March, 2018

Updated: 27th August, 2019

Author: Nicholas Boyd-Vaughan

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