FAQs

The NOS runs a nine-month full-time Young Artist Programme which begins in August each year. The Programme is open to singers and repetiteurs.

All Young Artists benefit from: intensive one-to-one musical and vocal coaching; close links with the six main UK opera companies who monitor their 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.

First Round Audition

The following will be required:

• Recordings of two audition pieces, both of which should be opera (not a song or oratorio). Ideally, two languages should be represented, and we advise you to choose contrasting pieces, so as to best demonstrate your vocal, musical, and dramatic skills.
  • Each recording must consist of a single take without editing, and your pianist must be in shot.
  • You are allowed to use multiple camera angles if you wish, providing all the footage comes from the same take.
  • Videos of you singing in opera productions will not be accepted.
  • All videos must have been recorded in this calendar year.
  • Each submission doesn’t need to be recorded within the same recording session.
  • These videos must be uploaded to YouTube. On your application form, you will be asked to provide a link to these videos.
  • The recordings must not have any audio editing (including but not limited to reverb, equalisation or auto-tuning).
  • We do not stipulate any minimum requirements for the quality of the video recording, however, the panel must be able to see and hear you clearly.

Second Round Audition

The following will be required:

• Four audition pieces, all of which should be opera (not songs or oratorio). At least two languages should be represented, with at least one in English. Additionally, at least one selection should be from a contemporary opera (post-1980) or from a musical theatre piece.
• You may, if you wish, bring the same arias that you submitted for your First Round audition.
• Your contemporary piece can also fulfil the English language requirement.

In this audition the panel will hear at least one piece of the applicant’s choice. If the panel chooses to hear a further piece, they will select the second piece.

NOS will provide a highly qualified and experienced accompanist for the Second Round live audition process. You will not be able to bring your own pianist for your live audition, or for any warm-up or practice time. This is for the sake of consistency and to ensure that all applicants can be assessed equally and without prejudice. Music will be sent to accompanists in advance, so you don’t need to bring any additional music with you.

Final Round Audition

The repertoire requirements are the same as the Second Round Audition. Applicants do not need to prepare additional repertoire.

During the Final Round Audition, at least two pieces will be heard. Applicants will choose the first piece, and the panel will select the following pieces.

As with the Second Round Audition, the National Opera Studio will provide a highly qualified and experienced accompanist for Final Round Audition. You will not be able to bring your own pianist for your live audition or for any warm-up or practice time. Music will be sent to accompanists in advance, so you don’t need to bring any additional music with you.

First Round Audition

All repetiteurs who apply to the National Opera Studio are given an in person first-round audition. These will happen in person at the National Opera Studio in London.

The following will be required:

• Two scenes from contrasting operas
  • Both scenes should involve at least two characters
  • You will be asked to play whilst singing in the vocal lines

Second Round Audition

Second round auditions will happen the day after the first round auditions. These will also be in person at the National Opera Studio in London.

You should expect second round auditions to last approximately 60 mins.

The following will be required:

• Two scenes from contrasting operas. These pieces can be same as the ones performed in the first round.
  • Both scenes should involve at least two characters.
  • You will be asked to play whilst singing in the vocal lines.
• A compulsory set piece which will be sent to all candidates a week before the second round audition
  • Everyone should learn this set piece, and will be expected to play it should they be invited to attend a second round audition.
• A piece of sightreading

Applications must be made via our website which will include a fee of £10.

You are required to submit contact details for two references on your application form. We will contact your references after you are invited to a live audition.

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.

The recommendations must be written specifically for this application and uploaded by your referees to the form emailed to them. Once you have submitted your application form, NOS will contact your references directly using the contact details provided on the form. It is your responsibility to make sure that your referee has received the reference request and knows how to submit a reference.

References 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
    • suitability for our programme
    • command of languages
    • reliability
    • learning speed
    • working relationships with colleagues

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

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

First round auditions will be by video selection.

Second round auditions will take place in Leeds, Cardiff and London.

Final round auditions take place in the National Opera Studio’s Blackburn Hall:

National Opera Studio
2 Chapel Yard
Wandsworth High Street.
London SW18 4HZ

Repetiteurs who apply to the National Opera Studio are given an in person first-round audition. Second round auditions will happen the day after the first round auditions. These will also be in person at the National Opera Studio in London.

National Opera Studio
2 Chapel Yard
Wandsworth High Street.
London SW18 4HZ

NOS will provide a highly qualified and experienced pianist 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 ensure that all applicants can be assessed equally and without prejudice.

There will be no opportunity to rehearse with the audition pianist. Music will be sent to pianists in advance, so you don’t need to bring any additional music with you.

Music will be sent to pianists in advance, so you don’t need to bring any additional music with you.

You should call 020 8874 8811 or email auditions@nationaloperastudio.org.uk 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.

Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to provide feedback for first and second round auditions.

All singers invited for a final round audition may request feedback.

All repetiteurs may request feedback.

We regret that we are unable to offer any financial support towards travel to and from auditions.

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 auditions@nationaloperastudio.org.uk if you need a Letter of Invitation.

Please don’t send additional materials such as CVs to NOS. You will be able to give us all the information we need and upload your headshot on the application form. Additional materials will not be given to the panel.