Opera Company Of Middlebury Inc

Provided training and performance opportunities for high school youth. The Youth Opera program has three elements: a Fall residency in a local high school to teach the youth about opera and to stage performances of Dido and Aeneas; an afterschool opera scenes program; and a summer program in which high school and college students perform in senior residence facilities. In the Fall of 2023 the Dido and Aeneas program was held at Colchester High School, with performances in January 2024. The afterschool opera scenes program gives high school youth one-on-one coaching and an opportunity to learn music from a selected composer or language or musical style. These youth gain knowledge, skills, and confidence by performing in front of an audience. A unique program is developed and presented each Fall and Spring. Thirdly, the summer program allows former and current Youth Opera participants to have additional performance opportunities. These students sing in senior residences in Vermont and also present two performances which are open to the public. The performance at Shelburne Vineyards in July 2024 was attended by over 80 people.

Provided training and performance experience for singers who are earlier in their careers. This program is called the Young Artist Program and is run in conjunction with the Spring production. The Young Artists serve as the understudies for the principal roles in the mainstage production and an additional performance with piano is staged to give them an opportunity to serve in those lead roles. The Young Artists also staged their own opera, Gioachino Rossini's La Scala di Seta. The Young Artists receive extensive training, coaching by industry professionals, and master classes by directors and agents.