Opera Sprouts

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

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. 

• 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.
• May 2026 dates for workshop and performance TBD – taking place in Vancouver and Victoria – are in person events for the creative team. Travel and accommodation will be provided. All other workshop periods and meetings will take place via Zoom.

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

Applicants (both composer and librettist) must be Canadian citizens or have landed immigrant status. There are no age restrictions to applicants.  

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.