Kennedy Center and WNO: Opera Institute for Young Singers

The WNO Opera Institute is a summer training program for high school singers interested in Citizen Artistry and exploring all that opera and vocal performance have to offer in college and as a career. Students will develop their skills as performers while exploring how to use their full array of talents to build a life for themselves, a better field, and a better world.

Home for this three-week program is one of the country's leading educational institutions, American University. The AU environment provides a professional and studious context in the relaxed, informal atmosphere of a college campus.

The Opera Institute curriculum is designed to prepare students for college music programs by giving them a taste of life as a music student. Students are presented with challenging musical and academic demands and supported at every turn by caring faculty and staff. Classes at the Opera Institute are deliberately small; about 30 students are selected each year.

This permits participants plenty of individual time with faculty members, and encourages students to get to know each other. For many of them, this may be their first time around other teenagers who love classical singing as much as they do. Life-long relationships are built every year, and participants become a family of mutual support and learning.

This exciting and challenging program is for students who long to develop their musical gifts and explore the professional world of this historic art form. The Opera Institute offers an unforgettable summer experience that prepares students for college, builds confidence, and trains the opera professionals of tomorrow.