Opera Sprouts

Thursday
Oct 15, 2026 9:28pm

The Opera Sprouts Initiative is an initiative to create opera for youth in BC schools. It is focused on working with composer/librettist teams interested in mentorship, process and building collaborative relationships as the core of developing new work for schools, within the setting of a professional opera company.

The Opera Sprouts Initiative develops new operas for youth in Grades 3-6 through a year long mentorship program. This mentorship program is focused on working with up and coming composers and librettist teams who are interested in writing an opera for school touring. A public submission process will culminate in three teams being selected through a jury process. Successful teams will have submitted new work proposals that demonstrate a readiness to create a full 45 minute work, and an awareness of the BC provincial education guidelines. Selected teams will receive guidance from experienced mentors from Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera and will also include knowledgeable industry professionals. The mentorship culminates in a public presentation of the works, where a jury will select one new work through a competitive process. The winning excerpt will move ahead to a full commission with a tour of British Columbia schools scheduled for the 2025-2026 season.

Opera Sprouts is looking for composer/librettist teams who want to create:

An opera appropriate for youth in grades 3-6
With storylines/libretto’s that reflect the BC education curriculum
Offer a powerful first experience of the operatic form

Initiative Elements

Teams will receive individual and group mentorship opportunities to support the development of the work. Written feedback with deadlines for each stage of development is a key part of the process, with a vision to engage with teams in new work development process. This includes libretto and musical dramaturgy.

Mentorship will be delivered virtually throughout the year at mutually agreeable times. Teams must be available for the two week period that includes the workshop and performance of the 15 minute excerpts in June 2026.

Outcomes

Finalists will be eligible to be awarded a full commission for the Fall 2026.
Composers will write a 15 minute excerpt for up to four voices (SATB)
Librettists will complete a libretto that results in a 45 minute opera in English. Other languages will need prior approval.
A professional audio/ visual record of the performance of the 15 minute excerpt for promotion of the work in other spaces.
Each successful team receives $8000 and a year long mentorship valued at $3000
One team will be chosen to complete the work and receive a separate commission (additional monies) for the completion of the opera with remaining fee to be negotiated at the time of commission.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

We welcome applications from composers/librettists who embody artistic excellence in a diversity of performing arts disciplines including opera, theatre arts, classical and new music, or related performance practice.

This Initiative is committed to the expansion of engagement opportunities for Artists who self-identify as diverse, so that all Artists may be included in the practice of opera, and our stages reflect the full diversity of Canadian society. We are actively engaged in lifting up voices and stories that have been excluded and believe that opera should reflect the wide diversity of performance, processes, bodies and identities in our society. Further, cultural sensitivity will inform decisions made with regard to casting and portrayal.

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Submission Form

Submission Info will go Here

More Info

Timeline

- Call for Submissions: February 1, 2025. Closes March 31, 2025
- Selections and candidate notificatio: April-May 15, 2025
- Mentorship begins: June 1, 2025

Deadlines
- Half of the libretto-Sept. 1, 2025
- Musical scene identification (15 minutes in length for the competition) December 1, 2025
- Second half of libretto is due: December, 2025
- Deadline to submit final version for sharing and competition: May 15
- Public concert and Competition: June date TBD