Professional Pathways

Work Experience

Secondary Students

A week-long intensive for students in years 10-11. Ideally you are CAPA student with an interest in performance and looking at career pathways as a singer, orchestral musician, stage manager, technician or designer in live performing arts.

This week has a performance focus, and is designed to give you a taste of professional performance training. You’ll sing, move and create every day, work closely with artists and gain valuable skills and insights into the workings of the opera company.

Age Range:
Year 10/11 (15-18 years old) as part of a school work experience program.

Key Dates:
Work Experience occurs for two weeks in November. In 2025 those weeks are:

Week 1: 17–21 November
Week  2: 24–28 November

When to apply:
Applications are open throughout the year and are closed once capacity has been reached. Applications are appraised in September each year and students will be notified before the end of term 3. Please note that completing an application does not guarantee a placement

In your application, please include a short video (less that 2 mins):
Introducing yourself, your school, a bit about the music you like, what you like to play / sing and why you’d like to have work experience at OA, and a short excerpt of a song you love to sing, a piece you play

NB The video is not (repeat not!) an audition, it’s so we can get a sense of who you are and your interests. A simple smart phone video, a cappella singing or backing track is fine.

APPLY HERE

Placements and Attachments

Tertiary Students

For students currently undertaking professional arts training at a tertiary level, OA offers a number of placements and production attachments each year. Attachments allow students to gain experience, build industry connections or undertake research, spend some time in the rehearsal room, observing practicing artists.

These are unpaid, observational roles attached to specific productions in the OA season and can range from a single rehearsal observation to 2-week placement, as arranged through your university.

Key dates:
As arranged

This year’s placements include:
Victorian College of the Arts – Theatre Directing
Sydney Conservatorium of Music – Collaborative Piano
Australian National University – Vocal Studies

APPLY NOW

Post Graduate and Research
For students conducting research please email education@opera.org.au to discuss your project.

Young Artist Program

For information on Opera Australia's Young Artist Program, please head to the Young Artist Program page.

Find out more

The Patricia H. Reid Fellowships

Patricia H. Reid Orchestral Fellowship

For more information about the Patricia H. Reid Orchestral fellowships, Opera Australia's career development program for early career string players please head to this page

Find out more