Young Artist Program

Discovering and nurturing Australian talent.

Young artists help shape the future of opera. At Opera Australia, we are committed to developing new generations of Australian talent. Emerging artists are integral to our mission to present great opera for the 21st century through a uniquely Australian lens.

The Opera Australia Young Artist Program offers professional training in the heart of Australia’s national opera company, allowing emerging artists to draw on the expertise of Opera Australia’s vast community of artists, répétiteurs, directors, vocal coaches, technicians and specialists.

"If you want to work in Australia as a professional opera singer the OA YAP is the best way to get the training that you need. For me it provided some incredible opportunities both on and off stage to learn with some really fantastic coaches as well as to be able to perform. It’s only when you’re working for a professional company that you experience what it means to be performing on stage."

— Nicole Car

Audition

Apply to be a Young Artist at Opera Australia

Auditions for singers, repetiteurs and directors are held every 18 months for the next intake of Young Artists.

Find out more

The Opera Australia Young Artist Program is proudly supported by Principal Patron Maureen Wheeler AO.

Jem Herbert, Leon Vitogiannis, and Chelsea Burns, Great Opera Hits at Sydney Opera House (2025)

Photographer: Neil Bennett

Banner image: 2025/26 Young Artists (from left): Elias Wilson, Chelsea Burns, Leon Vitogiannis, Claudia Osborne, Jem Herbert, Shikara Ringdahl. Credit: Neil Bennett