Youth Opera Program

The Magic of Opera for All!

Since 1984, Sarasota Youth Opera has given thousands of young people ages 8 to 18 an opportunity to experience the joy of opera firsthand through participation in fully-staged Youth Opera productions, Sarasota Opera main stage productions, summer camps, and concerts throughout the community.

Sarasota Youth Opera is the only program in the United States committed to both presenting an annual full-scale opera production for young voices, as well as accepting all who wish to participate regardless of skill level or ability to pay.

What our Program offers

Through our year-round training, singers develop their voices, musicianship, acting skills, and appreciation of opera as they build their confidence within a supportive and collaborative community.  

Youth Opera Productions

During the fall season, all members perform in a full-scale Youth Opera production with professional staff to guide, mentor, and help them to excel!  The only auditions held are to cast the solo roles.  

Part of Sarasota Opera’s commitment to young people includes commissioning new operas written for children and young adults. Six new works have been presented as part of this mission: Rachel J. Peters’ Rootabaga Country (2017), Daron Hagen’s Little Nemo in Slumberland (2012), John Kennedy’s The Language of Birds (2004), Tom Suta’s Eye of Ra (1998), Polly Pen’s Her Lightness (1993), and Deadline (1989).

Our Past Fully-staged Productions:  

2019   Brundibár / Raise Up Your Voice
2018   The Little Sweep 
2017   Rootabaga Country (Commission/World Premiere)
2016   The Secret World of Og (U.S. Premiere)
2015   Brundibár / Raise Up Your Voice
2014   The Hobbit 
2013   The Little Sweep 
2012   Little Nemo in Slumberland (Commission/World Premiere)
2010   The Black Spider 
2008   The Hobbit (U.S. Premiere)
2006   The Second Hurricane 
2005   The Little Sweep 
2004   The Language of Birds (Commission/World Premiere)
2003   The Piper of Hamelin 
2002   The Happy Prince 
2002   Down in the Valley 
2001   The Second Hurricane 
1999   The Black Spider 
1998   Eye of Ra (Commission/World Premiere)
1998   Brundibár 
1997   Arabica 
1996   Pinocchio 
1995   African Jigsaw 
1994   Ocean World 
1993   Her Lightness (Commission/World Premiere)
1992   Yanomano 
1991   Karlsson on the Roof (American Premiere)
1990   Cornelius Coyote (World Premiere)
1989   Deadline (Commission/World Premiere)
1988   Cinderella 
1987   The Frog Prince 
1986   Chanticleer 
1986   Space Opera/Rooster Rag/Jack and the Beanstalk

Opera Mainstage Season

Youth Opera members have the opportunity to participate in Sarasota Opera’s mainstage professional productions in 3 ways:

As members of the children’s chorus in operas such as Tosca, La bohème, Turandot, and Carmen 

In special solo roles written for young voices. In recent seasons Youth Opera members have performed roles alongside the professional singers in The Magic Flute, Tosca, and The Marriage of Figaro.

As non-singing extras (also called supernumeraries) 

Youth Opera Choruses

Youth Opera performs throughout the community in formal concerts and community events.  Selections performed are chosen from classical music, which includes opera and choral pieces in different languages.  Singers are placed in an appropriate chorus which provides a setting for them to participate and progress at their own level as they gain greater skills and experience.

This is the main focus of the winter/spring season which runs from January through April.

Summer Camp

Each June, Sarasota Youth Opera offers summer camps for young people. Under the direction of Sarasota Opera’s professional artistic and production staff, campers experience the wonder of opera on the stage and behind the scenes as they study its many facets, from music and acting to opera appreciation and the many elements of an opera production. To learn more, please visit www.sarasotaopera.org/summer-camp.

Come Sing With Us!

2023 Winter/Spring Season

Designed for all skill levels, Sarasota Youth Opera will explore the world of opera through chorus and acting. 

Concerts
In the spring SYO will present concerts of opera excerpts including one in Siesta Key.  As well, there will be a collaboration with Sarasota Ballet School on our opera stage.

One-On-One Coachings
We will be offering coachings free of charge to all SYO members with Maestro Jesse Martins in 20-minute slots. At these sessions singers are welcome to work on their singing, music reading abilities.

Acting with Director of Education Martha Collins. Singers will have the opportunity to explore their acting skills through acting exercises, dialogue coachings in groups and one-on-one coachings.

Auditions for roles in our Fall 2023 Production. At the end of the semester, Youth Opera members will have the opportunity to audition and be cast in the roles for our fall production.

Enrollment

Enrollment: Youth Opera open enrollment begins now through Feb 1.  Rehearsals begin the week of January 16th, 2023.

Location:  Sarasota Opera House
                  61 N. Pineapple Ave. 
                  Sarasota, FL 34236 

 

Tuition

Prep Chorus: Ages 8 to 10 - $200
Must be 8 or older by April 30, 2023

Mixed Chorus: Ages 11 to 18 - $225
Must be 11 or older by April 30, 2023 

Discounts:  $25 Off per singer for 2 or more singers from the same family 

Tuition Assistance 
We understand that these are trying times, and families' budgets may have changed. If the cost of tuition puts a burden on your family then please fill out a tuition assistance application when you register. Tuition assistance is available in addition to a sibling discount of $25 per enrolled singer.  

Register

To register click here

Medical Release Form

Medical Release Form:
For your child’s safety, a parent or guarding will need to sign and have notarized our Medical Release Form prior to your singer’s first rehearsal. There will be a notary at the first few rehearsals to help complete this paperwork.

Future Dates

If you are too busy this Winter/Spring keep these dates in mind!

YO Summer Camp: June 12 - 30
YO 2023 Fall Semester – August through November

2023 Winter/Spring Season Calendar

Youth Opera Alumni

Alumni, we miss you and want you back! 2024 is the 40th anniversary of Youth Opera! We are planning special events!  Visit the Youth Opera Alumni page to sign up so we can keep in touch!

Questions?

Please contact us at [email protected] or (941) 328-1329.
Interested in supporting the Youth Opera programs? Learn more.

Youth Opera Faculty & Staff

Martha Collins

Martha Collins

Martha Collins
Director of Education & Stage Director
[email protected]

Stage Director Martha Collins has been praised by reviewers for her 'world-class, magical staging', 'mastery of zany, comic fun' and 'her direction of insightful character portrayals' and ‘quality’ productions.

Miss Collins recently directed Attila at Sarasota Opera, where her previous productions include of Dialogues of the CarmelitesToscaCarmenMadama ButterflyRomeo and Juliette, La Traviata, Nabucco and L’Elisir d’Amore. As part of the company’s complete Verdi Cycle, Miss Collins directed productions of I LombardiI due FoscariAttilaGiovanna D’ArcoI MasnadieriJerusalemUn Giorno di Regno, and La Battaglia di Legnano. She has also served as stage director for Sarasota Opera’s Apprentice Program since 2004. 

For Sarasota Youth Opera, Miss Collins directed the world premiere of Little Nemo in Slumberland (2012) and Rootabaga Country (2017), the U.S. premieres of Burry’s The Hobbit (2008, 2014) and The Secret World of OG  (2016), The Black Spider (2010), The Second Hurricane (2006) The Little Sweep (2005, 2013, 2018) for which she also wrote the new Prologue of Let’s Put on an Opera, and Brundibár (2015, 2019) for which she also wrote an original prologue in collaboration with Jesse Martins (Sarasota youth Opera music director). 

At New York University, she directed The Magic Flute, Orpheus in the UnderworldL’Enfant et les Sortilèges, and productions of her new libretto translations of The Audition and The Finishing School by von Suppé.  Other productions include Side by Side by Sondheim and A Talent to Amuse – an Evening of Noel Coward at New England Conservatory, Il Tabarro and Amahl and the Night Visitors with Opera North, Floyd's Susannah and L’Elisir d’Amore for Opera Mozart in New Jersey, Dido and Aeneas at Brevard, and Lucia di Lammermoor and Tosca with New Jersey Verismo Opera.

Martha has taught acting at New York University, Swarthmore College, Ryder University, Manitoba University, the Florence Voice Seminar in Italy, and she maintains a private studio for vocal and dramatic coaching in New York City.

As a singer, she performed extensively throughout her native Canada both as a concert and operatic performer, and has been heard on CBC's Arts National Radio in numerous recitals and orchestral concerts.  Her televised appearances include Micaela in Carmen with Vancouver Opera and the opening gala of the world Expo in Vancouver, both of which were aired internationally.

Jesse Martins

Jesse Martins Headshot-Max-Quality

Jesse Martins
Music Director
[email protected]

Maestro Jesse Martins holds a Master of Arts in Collaborative Piano from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil).

Since joining Sarasota Opera in 2011 Maestro Martins has served as Youth Opera Chorus Master for mainstage productions such as Carmen (2012, 2018), OtelloTurandotPagliacci and Tosca, in addition to being the understudy conductor for Il Barbiere di Siviglia (2014), Le nozze di Figaro (2015), L'italiana in Algeri (2017), and Tiefland (2018). He also served as Chorus Master/Associate Conductor for Sarasota Youth Opera’s world premiere of Daron Hagen’s Little Nemo in Slumberland (2012), and conductor for Britten’s The Little Sweep (2013, 2018), Dean Burry’s The Hobbit (2014), Hans Krása’s Brundibár (2015), Burry’s The Secret World of Og (2016, U.S. Premiere), and Rachel J. Peters’ Rootabaga Country (2017, World Premiere).

During the 2018-2019 season Maestro Martins conducted Britten’s The Little Sweep and made his professional debut with the company on Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.

Prior to his graduate studies, he was the Assistant Music Director and Program Manager for Opera Factory Theater (Auckland, New Zealand), a training center for young singers. While in New Zealand, Mr. Martins worked with soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, British Maestro Sir Andrew Davis, coach Rosemary Barnes, and acted as chorus pianist for NBR New Zealand Opera’s production of Janáček’s Jenůfa. While a Graduate Assistant at Mansfield University, Mr. Martins was a coach for Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, accompanied the Concert Choir in the Eisteddfod competition in Wales (UK), and performed at the Finger Lakes Chamber Music Festival (NY).