Artist Development

Part of Arbor Opera Theater’s mission is to nurture and help train developing artists. Many of our opera singers earn vocal performance degrees at the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Eastern Michigan University, and other local institutions but are left unprepared to work in major opera houses due to a lack of professional experience. AOT fills this void by providing professional performance experience to aspiring artists.

There is currently no full-fledged young artist program available to singers in the state of Michigan, and while Arbor Opera Theater is not able to provide this type of program at this time, we continue to offer artists opportunities to participate in high-quality theatrical performances where they can hone their skills and add to their resumes. Many of these singers have gone on to perform at numerous opera houses including the Opera Bastille in Paris, the Julliard Opera Center, Michigan Opera Theater, Houston Grand Opera, Fort Worth Opera, the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, and the Baltimore Opera. Now, through a strong record of quality programming, we are attracting the most promising singing artists from all over the US and abroad. Arbor Opera Theater is quickly becoming a staple on the résumés of the operatic stars of tomorrow.