OPERA FOR PEACE ACADEMY – US 2025

OPERA FOR PEACE ACADEMY – US 2025
 
In collaboration with The Denyce Graves Foundation and Cafritz Young Artists Program of Washington National Opera
 
Dates: November 10-17, 2025
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Apply at Audition Oracle:
 
https://auditionoracle.com/opera_for_peace_academy/opera_for_peace_academy_us_2/mc
 
Join us for the inaugural U.S. edition of the Opera for Peace Academy, presented in collaboration with The Denyce Graves Foundation and Cafritz Young Artists Program of Washington National Opera!
 
Opera for Peace subsidizes all artists’ travel and accommodation for the duration of the programme, as well as tuition-free participation, and Masterclasses & individual coachings, courtesy in part due to generous sponsorship from Fondation BNP Paribas.
 
This full-scholarship opportunity invites selected emerging artists to participate in an intensive week of professional development, cultural exchange, and world-class artistic mentorship in Washington, D.C.
 
Participants will receive:
 
– Tuition-free participation
– Travel and accommodation
– Masterclasses and individual coachings
– Participation in special performances and events, including a final concert at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C.
 
Artist Selection Process & Criteria
 
– No application fee and no age limit
– Open to emerging artists (singers) in the early stages of their professional careers
– Applicants should demonstrate vocal and musical excellence, personal commitment to cultural leadership, and a desire to serve as Citizen Artists
 
Application requirements:
 
– Biography / CV
– Repertoire list: complete operatic repertoire list (including studied roles & ensembles)
– Cover letter or introductory video – outlining why you believe the Opera for Peace Academy is the right program for you, what you would like to achieve by working with us, and telling us a bit about who you are.
– 3 video or audio performance links
– Minimum two professional references (teacher, program administrator, coach, etc.)
 
Selection timeline:
 
– Application deadline: July 4, 2025
– Shortlisted interviews: First week of August 2025
– Final decision: August 6, 2025
 
A committee of Opera for Peace team members, Academy partners and industry experts will review all applications. Artists will be selected based on their vocal quality, musicianship, artistic identity, and alignment with the Opera for Peace and Denyce Graves Foundation mission.
 
Academy Activities
 
Our faculty is led by world-renowned artists and administrators including Denyce Graves, Renée Fleming, Kamal Khan, Christopher Cano, Samuel Gelber, and Opera for Peace Ambassadors & Partners.
 
Concerts including:
 
– A final performance at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. & at other important venues
 
Workshops on:
 
– Artistic identity and sustainability
– Professional development
– Cultural diplomacy and peacebuilding through opera
 
 
Opera for Peace
Opera for Peace is an award-winning non-profit that empowers extraordinary opera talents from six continents, many from underserved backgrounds, to become world-class artists, role models and leaders. Together, they are inspiring the next generation and reshaping the future of opera on a global scale.
 
The Denyce Graves Foundation
The Denyce Graves Foundation (DGF) bridges the past to future by honoring overlooked musical voices and empowering the next generation of world-class artists. As a nonprofit organization anchored at the intersection of social justice, American history, and the arts, DGF seeks to expand the public’s understanding of the rich, multicultural history of classical music by bringing the stories of our nation’s hidden musical figures to light.
 
Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera
The Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera are young singers and pianists/coaches on the verge of international careers. The program provides intensive study with renowned vocal and dramatic coaches and offers voice lessons, language classes, career guidance, and master classes with Washington National Opera staff and guest artists. The Young Artists also have the opportunity to perform and cover roles in WNO productions, and to create new roles in WNO’s new works program, the American Opera Initiative.
 
Fondation BNP Paribas – Giving power to those who take action
The power to build a better world for future generations;
The power to rally around the most vulnerable populations;
The power to lead the fairest and most sustainable transitions;
The power to shine a light on those who make a difference.
 
Since 1984, they have been discovering, bringing together, and supporting talents who lead innovative and impactful projects; projects that are part of a systemic approach to social, environmental and cultural change.
 
Through their cutting-edge approach, they support people and projects that help change the world: boldly and innovatively, over the long term, with active and tailored support, in order to publicise them, promote them, and perpetuate their actions.
 
 
Photo credits: Marvin Joseph, Matt Mendelsohn, Fabrizio Sansoni.