Guidelines for singers applying to the Training Programme

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Theodora Collins
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1 Guidelines for singers applying to the Training Programme Before you apply There is no upper age restriction for applying to the NOS. However, applicants are reminded that the Training Programme is very intensive and is intended to benefit extremely gifted singers and répétiteurs who are at the beginning of their professional operatic careers. We receive over 250 audition applications per year and can accept a maximum of 12 singers and 4 répétiteurs onto each Training Programme. Although it is not a formal requirement, applicants are expected to have significant performance experience and to have been training, in some form, for a number of years. The Training Programme is full-time and runs from September 2018 to June Key dates for auditions and applications First Round auditions will take place between Saturday 27 th January 2018 and Sunday 4 th February Final Round auditions will take place on Monday 26 th February 2018 and Tuesday 27 th February Before applying for a First Round audition, you should make sure that you are fully available for the Final Round audition dates. All applications must be submitted using YAP Tracker. The applications will open on Wednesday 11 th October The application deadline is 11:59pm on Wednesday 20 th December Application process You will be able to submit your application from Wednesday 11 th October 2017 to Wednesday 20 th December All applications must be submitted using YAP Tracker. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 11:59pm on Wednesday 20 th December For singers in the UK and EEA: Shortly after you have submitted your application, you will be given access to the NOS audition timetable on YAP Tracker. Here, you will be able to pick one audition slot. Audition slots are given on a first-come first-served basis, so we advise you to apply as early as you can, especially if you have limited availability during our First Round auditions period. We are unable to offer auditions outside of our stated audition dates. 1

2 For singers outside of the EEA: On your YAP Tracker application form, you have the option to let us know that you are applying from outside of the EEA and that you would therefore like to submit a video audition instead of attending a First Round audition in person. Shortly after you have submitted your application, our auditions administrator will get in touch with you to give you guidelines and a deadline for submitting your video audition. If your video audition is successful, you will be invited to attend a live audition in person at the National Opera Studio. This live audition will take place on Friday 23 rd February (a few days before the Final Round of auditions) and will be structured exactly like a standard First Round audition. After your live audition, you may or may not be given a place in the Final Round of auditions taking place on Monday 26th February 2018 and Tuesday 27th February Audition fee As part of your application, you will be required to pay an audition fee of 75. This fee must be paid by entering debit/credit card details into the YAP Tracker application form. References References should be written by music or theatre professionals (for example: directors, agents, established singers, accompanists, heads of music colleges) but not your current or former singing teacher(s). When completing the application form on YAP Tracker, you should enter the details of two referees. The website will then automatically send an to each referee asking them to upload their recommendations directly to the website. References cannot be accepted in any other way. Your references must be submitted by the deadline of Wednesday 10 th January You, as the applicant, are responsible for ensuring that your application is supported with references. You should contact your referees in plenty of time to ensure that they are happy to provide a reference and are able to do so by the deadline. You should check your application status regularly to make sure that your references have been uploaded. If references are still pending, it may be because the request from YAP Tracker has gone into the referee s junk folder. You are responsible for contacting your referees to check whether they have received the request . See the YAP Tracker website for instructions on how to resend a reference request, how to change a referee s address and how to add or change referees. Where possible, references should be written in English. However, references in German, French or Italian will also be accepted. DEADLINE FOR REFERENCES SUBMISSION: 11:59pm on Wednesday 10 th January

3 Audition structure Each audition will last approximately 12 minutes. There are two rounds of auditions: the First Round and the Final Round. First Round Panel The panel will be made up of the NOS Director of Artist Development, the NOS Assistant Head of Music, and at least one member of the artistic staff of one of our six partner opera companies on each day. The panel will consist of a minimum of three people. Final Round Panel The panel will be made up of at least three NOS staff from the following pool: the Chief Executive, the NOS Director of Artist Development, the Head of Music and the Assistant Head of Music. The panel will also include representatives from each of our six partner opera companies: English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Opera North, the Royal Opera House, Scottish Opera and Welsh National Opera. The panel will consist of a minimum of nine people. Repertoire For each round, you should bring at least three audition pieces, of which: all should be opera (no song or oratorio) at least two languages should be represented at least one should be in English at least one should have been composed post-1970 You may, if you wish, bring additional arias (up to a maximum of five audition pieces) from which the panel may choose. You are welcome to bring a post-1970 English aria. The panel may stop you during the performance of a particularly long aria so that they can hear another audition piece. One month before your audition, you will be contacted by the auditions administrator who will ask if you are bringing any unusual or non-mainstream repertoire to your audition. This will be your opportunity to send a copy of this repertoire, to be passed on to the audition accompanist. Arrival and warm-up time Please arrive minutes before your booked audition time. You will be allocated a practice room in which to warm up for your audition, and will be given a slip of paper on which to write down your arias for the use of the panel. If auditions are running ahead of schedule, you may be called to your audition up to 15 minutes before your booked audition time. Please ensure you are adequately warmed up and prepared by this time, just in case. 3

4 Accompanists The NOS will provide a highly qualified and experienced accompanist for all auditions. You will not be able to bring your own pianist with you for your audition or for your warm-up time. This is for the sake of consistency and to serve all applicants to the best of our ability, equally and without prejudice. There will be no opportunity to rehearse with the audition accompanist. Please make sure you have a copy of all of your audition music prepared for the accompanist before you arrive at the NOS. Audition dress You should dress well and comfortably for your audition. Evening concert wear is not required. Ladies are advised to wear smart day dresses or trousers with tops, whilst gentlemen are advised to wear suits with open necked shirts. Ties are not necessary. Please bear in mind that what you wear has an impact on the panel s decision-making, so choose audition wear that makes you feel good, and which does not detract from your performance. Cancellation and rescheduling Should you need to cancel your audition, you must do so by ing auditions@nationaloperastudio.org.uk as soon as possible. If an audition is cancelled on or before Wednesday 10 th January 2018, the NOS will refund 50 of the application fee to allow for costs incurred through YAP Tracker and administrative time. The audition fee will be non-refundable after this time. Should you need to reschedule your audition time, you can do so by choosing another available audition slot on YAP Tracker until 11:59pm on Wednesday 10 th January 2018, at which point all audition times will be fixed. If you need to reschedule after Wednesday 10 th January 2018, please auditions@nationaloperastudio.org.uk. If it is possible to accommodate your request, we will aim to do so at no extra cost to you. If it is impossible for us to reschedule your audition, you must either keep your original time or cancel, in which case the NOS will be under no obligation to refund your audition fee. 4

5 Notification of results After the First Round You will be notified by within one week (seven days) of the last audition date whether you have been successful or not. After the Final Round Every effort will be made to notify you within one week (seven days) of the final audition, however there may be circumstances under which this may not be possible. The notifications will be released as follows: 1. Offers 2. Conditional offers (subject to Visa) 3. Reserves 4. Unsuccessful Feedback After the First Round Neither verbal nor written feedback will be given after the First Round. In the interest of fairness and owing to the high number of First Round auditions we encounter, this is a rule which applies to all First Round auditionees, and we are unable to make any exceptions. After the Final Round Written feedback will be offered to all unsuccessful Final Round auditionees within one calendar month of the results notification. The NOS Director of Artist Development will collate audition feedback from the comment forms that each member of the panel is requested to complete. Formal written feedback will not be given to those who are offered a place on the Training Programme. However, a meeting with NOS staff will be arranged with all upcoming Young Artists before the start of their training year, when there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss repertoire and obtain audition feedback. Eligibility If you do not hold a valid UK or EU passport, you should be aware that the Home Office/UK Border Agency now has rigorous conditions that need to be met before the necessary visa will be issued. Without this, you will not be able to come to the NOS. If this applies to you, you should think very carefully about the risks involved before you apply. If you are offered a place on the Programme, this will be a conditional offer and will only be confirmed if you are able to secure the necessary visa by 1 st August Please visit this page of our website for further information: It is vital that all applicants accepted onto our Training Programme have a good command of the English language. We reserve the right to request proof of your English proficiency and, if necessary, ask you to sit a test. 5

6 Funding and living in London Young Artists do not pay fees to train at the National Opera Studio. The cost of training is generously covered by NOS donors, supporters and stakeholders. However, successful applicants will be expected to cover the cost of living in London for nine months during the Training Programme. London living costs are high, and as such you are advised to think seriously about your ability to support yourself during the Programme. As the Programme is full-time 5 days a week, it is very difficult for Young Artists to undertake regular paid employment. Your ability to undertake paid employment may also be affected by your residency status. The NOS has a limited Bursary Fund which is available to those in need of financial assistance. Upon formal offer of a place, NOS Chief Executive Emily Gottlieb will discuss eligibility. We regret that we are unable to offer financial support for travelling to and from NOS auditions. FAQs and support Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about auditions and applications are available on our website. If you have a question about your application which isn t answered in these Guidelines or in our FAQs, please auditions@nationaloperastudio.org.uk If you require technical support with your YAP Tracker application, please help@yaptracker.com 6

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