Opera Holland Park is committed to identifying and nurturing talent. Our Young Artists Scheme is unique in the UK. It offers the opportunity for emerging artists to rehearse in a professional environment and perform on a major London stage to a paying audience. the scheme also encourages participants to develop outreach and education skills through their involvement with our award-winning Inspire programme.
Click here if you’re interested in supporting our Young Artists Scheme.
Auditioning
Opera Holland Park is thrilled to announce that the Young Artists programme will return in 2025 for a fourteenth year.
This season’s programme will focus on Jonathan Dove’s Itch, originally commissioned and performed by Opera Holland Park as part of the 2023 season. https://operahollandpark.com/productions/itch/.
It will give participants the opportunity to perform their role in full on the OHP stage with City of London Sinfonia. The Young Artists production will run alongside the main cast rehearsals for Itch , rehearsing with an Associate Conductor and Associate Director. They will also be covering the role for the main cast.
Opening doors
The Young Artists Scheme at Opera Holland Park was launched in 2011 to open doors into the industry for emerging directors, conductors and singers, with the generous financial support of the late Christine Collins.
The Young Artists rehearse alongside the main cast in the lead up to our summer season. For a four week period before their performances, they enjoy a dedicated rehearsal space of their own and their own sitzprobe with City of London Sinfonia.
Although ticket prices are reduced for Young Artists Performances, the artists are paid for their work. They are expected to perform at a high level and are given the support to do so. Our Young Artists act as covers for the main cast, stepping in when principals are unable to perform.
Industry leading
Critics, agents and managers are invited to the Young Artists Performances. In 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 the Young Artists Performances of The Marriage of Figaro, Eugene Onegin, Hansel and Gretel and The Barber of Seville sold out. In 2016, the International Opera Awards marked the success of the OHP Young Artists Scheme with a posthumous philanthropy award to Christine Collins. In 2018, the Young Artists performed OHP’s inaugural Schools Matinee alongside their public Young Artists Performance.
Ongoing relationship
Opera Holland Park’s relationship with the Young Artists rarely ends after one season. Many of the Young Artists return year after year to perform on our mainstage in the cast and creative teams for main stage productions. They include: Matthew Kofi Waldren, Charlotte Corderoy, Alison Langer, Blaise Malaba, Thomas Mole, Henry Grant Kerswell, Julien Van Mellaerts and Elizabeth Karani.
