^{Former Studio Artists Daryl Freedman and Steven Brennfleck in L'Heure Espagnole (2011)}

The Portland Opera Studio Artist Program

In 2005, the Portland Opera established the Portland Opera Studio program, designed to train the next generation of opera singers by providing a “bridge” from the conservatory world to the professional stage. Selected at auditions around the country, young singers fresh from some of the nation’s finest vocal conservatories and music academies join the company for a rigorous nine-month training program during which they are featured in their own production. Their training also includes voice, language and movement lessons and supporting roles in Company mainstage productions. Studio Artists also give an intimate recital of Art Song at the Portland Art Museum, exploring the close relationship between composer, singer and accompanist. 


The Studio Artists yearly production has become a highly-anticipated event in Portland, delighting audiences with rarely heard works and beautiful young voices.  Previous productions include Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia (2005), Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses (2006), Britten’s Albert Herring (2008), Cavalli’s La Calisto (2009), Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti and Monteverdi’s Il Ballo delle ingrate and Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (2010) and a Ravel double-bill of L’Heure Espagnole and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (2011).

Graduates of the Studio Artist program have performed worldwide, including roles with the New York City Opera and with young artist programs at Houston Grand Opera and Glimmerglass Opera.

Portland Opera Studio Staff

Christopher Mattaliano, General Director
Clare Burovac, Director of Artistic Operations
Robert Ainsley, Associate Music Director and Chorus Master

The Portland Opera Studio program is made possible through the generous support of:
Jeannine B. Cowles
The Eleanor Lieber Awards Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
Gwen Burns
Martha Fletcher McCourt
The Portland Opera Guild
Anonymous
A generous Friend of Portland Opera