Applications must be received on or before Wednesday, July 31, 2024.
Singers: Monday, June 2nd - Saturday, August 16th, 2025
Le Comte Ory by Rossini (fully staged production with orchestra) - sung in French.
The Schwabacher Summer Concert (staged scenes program with orchestra) - All voice types considered for this program. Repertoire will be chosen to showcase participating artists.
Song Recital a concert showcasing a vast array repertoire chosen to showcase participating singers and pianists.
The Merola Grand Finale (semi-staged gala with full orchestra) - concert featuring all Merola singers on the stage of the War Memorial Opera House
*Repertoire subject to change.
Every singer will be cast in the opera and/or Schwabacher Summer Concert.
Singers may be asked to perform in the chorus of the opera or Schwabacher Summer Concert.
Vocal excellence and potential, rather than voice type or casting for the Merola opera productions, will be the deciding factors in the audition committee’s choice of participants.
The Merola Opera Program, under the artistic direction of the San Francisco Opera Center: Carrie-Ann Matheson, Artistic Director and Markus Beam, General Manager offers performance, training, and career development opportunities for young professional singers, coach/pianists, and stage directors. Applications must be received on or before Wednesday, July 31st.
In addition to performance opportunities, all singers and pianists will have the opportunity to audition on the stage of the War Memorial Opera House for San Francisco Opera's General Director, Music Director, and Managing Director: Artistic. Each singer and pianist will also participate in a public masterclass conducted by internationally renowned artists.
Participants receive daily individual musical and vocal coaching, diction coachings, instruction in acting and stage deportment, movement, financial planning/fiscal responsibility, mental health/wellness, leadership coaching, physical health/well-being, and public relations/branding from leading professionals in the opera field.
For further information, please visit: https://merola.org.
Photo Credit: Kristen Loken
(Resident Artists of San Francisco Opera)
Each year singers and pianists are chosen from the Merola Opera Program to join the prestigious Adler Fellowship Program. The Adler program gives 11 young artists a year a performance-oriented experience, providing individualized, holistic and advanced training. Adler Fellows are engaged for roles in San Francisco Opera’s season, as well as performing in Opera Center programs and activities. The Adler Fellowship is a renewable yearlong residency and is a salaried position with full benefits.
San Francisco Opera Center may engage Merola singers for a debut recital to take place in the winter or spring of 2026 in San Francisco. These recitals have been endowed in perpetuity by the generosity of celebrated Bay Area singer, scholar, and teacher James Schwabacher.
No application fee is required.
There is no age limit for prospective applicants.
Please Note: All application materials must be submitted by the application deadline. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
Audition Locations and Dates
• New York, NY USA: September 24-30, 2024
• Atlanta, GA USA: October 1, 2024
• San Francisco CA USA: October 7, 2024
• Houston, TX USA: October 10-11, 2024
• Chicago, IL USA: October 13-15, 2024
Audition Process:
Singers granted a live audition will be notified following the video prescreening round, approximately 3 weeks before their audition date, and will be scheduled in their chosen audition location.
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Please note that date preferences will be taken into strong consideration but cannot be guaranteed.
A photo ID must be shown before in-person auditions.
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If selected for an in-person audition, singers may begin with a selection of their choosing, following the guidance in the Audition Requirements section of this application, and should be prepared to perform any selection on their audition list. The audition panel may ask for additional selections.
In-Person Audition Requirements for Singers:
Singers should prepare five selections including the following:
-Four opera arias, one of which must be in French. If you would like to be considered for Le Comte Ory, please offer an aria in a representative style that shows coloratura as one of your 4 arias.
-One art song or musical theatre/cabaret selection in the language of your choice.
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Pianist Fee
None. A pianist is provided free of charge. You may bring your own pianist at your own cost.
Please note: Merola Opera Program does not permit audition swapping. If you are unable to attend your assigned audition, please contact auditions@merola.org for assistance.
A weekly stipend is provided.
The Merola Opera Program provides a weekly stipend, round-trip transportation from place of residence to/from San Francisco, and shared-accommodation housing. Please note: the Merola Opera
Program only provides housing to participants and does not provide housing to spouse/partner, children, other relatives, or pets.
For five years after leaving Merola, alumni may be eligible, with Merola's approval, to receive up to a total of $12,000 in career grants, with a maximum of $6,000 in any single year.
601 Van Ness Avenue - San Francisco, CA
Contact Information
Merola Opera Program National Auditions
Email: auditions@merola.org
