Opera Sprouts

• Teams will work with the Director of New Work at Pacific Opera Victoria to develop a professional development program based on their needs and the needs of the piece they are creating.
• Each individual program will include sessions with an established Opera composer and with an experienced Librettist. We are excited to announce that Dean Burry, one of the world’s leading composers of children’s opera, will be part of the mentorship team.
• Libretti and piano / vocal scores at each stage will receive a ‘virtual’ feedback meeting with members of the artistic and production staff from both Pacific Opera and Vancouver Opera.  The Feedback is a key part of the mentorship process allowing artists the opportunity to make changes and alterations to the piece, while hearing from the producing companies about elements of the production process.  These feedback sessions provide artists the opportunity to articulate their vision and engage with the companies in a real world new work development process.  This includes libretto and musical dramaturgy exploration
• Individual sessions for mentorship with artistic, education and production leadership will be delivered virtually throughout the year at mutually agreeable times.
• Teams must be available for the in person workshop in Vancouver May 9-15, 2028. Travel per diem and accommodation will be provided from the creative team members’ point of origin. All other mentorship and meetings will take place virtually.

• Commission to be awarded after the presentation of the May Workshop, which will be for local school audiences
• 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.
• 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 (shared between the composer and librettist) and a year long mentorship valued at $3000 for their participation.

One team will be chosen as the winner and awarded the commission of the opera for young audiences, which will tour BC schools in an upcoming season. The commission will be negotiated in good faith based on current Canadian League of Composer guidelines.

We welcome applications from composers/librettists individuals and teams who embody artistic excellence in a diversity of performing arts disciplines including opera, theatre arts, classical and new music, or related performance practice. Ideal applicants bring a genuine curiosity about writing for young audiences alongside a real appetite for opera as an art form.

Applicants (both composer and librettist) must be Canadian citizens or have landed immigrant status.

This program is committed to creating more opportunities for artists who self-identify as diverse. We want our stages to reflect the full diversity of Canadian Society, and we’re actively working to lift up voices and stories that have been left out in the past.

Adjudication is conducted by a panel to include members of the artistic and production teams of Pacific Opera Victoria and Vancouver Opera

SELECTION CRITERIA

Resonance with and applicability to a youth audience

Alignment with the BC Education Curriculum

Quality of the body of work from the artistic team

Artistic merit and relevance of the proposal

Artistic readiness for the opportunity