Opera & Music Theatre Lab Intensive 2027

22-25 January 2027

Are you an aspiring opera or music theatre performer aged 15-25? Hone your singing, acting and performance skills at our exciting four-day Opera & Music Theatre Lab Intensive.

Working with a team of professional conductors, directors and vocal coaches, participants will rehearse ensemble works drawn from both the opera and music theatre repertoire, while also having the opportunity to perform a solo item in the final showcase.

This fast-paced and stimulating program provides a unique opportunity to develop your dramatic and musical performance skills alongside like-minded young performers. The intensive culminates in a public performance for family and friends, featuring all participants.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will have:

• Developed skills in collaborative performance
• Performed in at least two ensemble works
• Sung a solo as part of the final performance
• Strengthened your skills in the ‘triple threat’ of singing, acting and movement
• Enhanced your audience communication and stagecraft skills
• Built confidence in delivering compelling musical storytelling

Dates

Friday 22 January to Monday 25 January 2027

Participation Costs

Audition Fee

$20

Program Fee

$600 (GST inclusive)

Early Bird Discount

Receive $50 off the program fee if your audition video is submitted by 31 October 2026.

Application Process

Entry to the Opera & Music Theatre Lab Intensive is by video audition only.

Applicants are required to submit a digital audition video featuring one song from the opera, operetta or music theatre repertoire.

Step 1: Register

Register online for the audition process and pay the $20 administration fee.

Step 2: Submit Your Audition Video

Submit your digital audition video by 11.59pm on Sunday 30 November 2026.

Successful applicants will be notified no later than Friday 12 December 2026.

Applicants who submit their audition video by 31 October 2026 will qualify for the Early Bird discount.

Step 3: Enrol

If accepted, enrol and pay for the program using the link provided by Open Academy.

Audition Submission

Please email your audition video file or URL link (YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox or Google Drive) to:

con.openacademy@sydney.edu.au

Important Information

• Audition videos submitted without payment of the audition fee will not be accepted.
• Ensure your video can be accessed without requiring permission requests or login approval.
• Links must remain active throughout the audition process.

Solo Performance Selection

If accepted into the Opera & Music Theatre Lab Intensive, you will be invited to nominate three solo works for consideration in the final performance.

Location

Rehearsals and performances will take place at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in the Music Workshop, our most versatile theatre performance space.

PRINCIPAL COURSE DIRECTORS

Narelle Yeo - Direction and Music Coaching

Narelle Yeo achieved considerable performing success in the USA, performing numerous professional roles in opera and musical theatre, ranging from CioCioSan in “Madama Butterfly” to the soprano in Terence McNally’s “Masterclass” for Pacific Repertory Theatre. On the concert stage, she soloed for the San Francisco Symphony and the Berkeley Symphony before returning to Australia. A “singing actor” and champion of new music, Narelle has premiered a number of new works in both the USA and Australia, including her recent portrayal of Catherine in the new Australian opera “The Long Ride Home” by Thomas Rimes. Narelle worked as a Director in the Opera Program at the San Francisco Conservatory.

Since her return to our shores, Narelle has directed opera and musical theatre for the Sydney Conservatorium and numerous other companies and schools in the USA and Australia. She has most recently premiered new works at the Moorambilla Festival and the Brisbane Festival.

Tanith Bryce - Music Coaching and Production

Tanith Bryce (BMus (Perf) (Sydney Conservatorium), DipOp (Sydney Conservatorium), LMusA with Distinction (AMEB), DipModLang (UNE)) is a soprano based in Sydney who is currently working as a voice teacher and language coach as well as being a current member of Opera Australia’s ensemble. Her teaching focus is on healthy vocal production and finding ways to emphasise good vocal technique and poetic nuance through refinement of language.

Tanith has performed in over 20 operas with Opera Australia, most recently in Aida in 2021, as well as having performed in various oratorios and art song recitals. Her interests are divided equally between opera and art song and she enjoys premiering new works by Australian composers, as well as performing other works.

Allan Hicks - Repetiteur and Vocal Coach

Alan Hicks is one of Australia’s foremost vocal coaches and accompanists. He currently works in the Vocal and Opera Studies and Collaborative Piano areas at Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In the course of eight years as a freelance pianist in London, Alan appeared at major recital venues including the Wigmore Hall, the Purcell Room and St John’s Smith Square. As pianist with the London-based Australian contemporary music group the Bennelong Ensemble, he toured to Italy and the UK. Returning to Australia, he was appointed Head of Voice at the School of Music in Canberra, 2008-12 and was Musical Director of the University of Canberra Chorale, 2013-16. As well as being an accomplished recital and concert accompanist, Alan’s operatic credits include : Albert Herring, Dido and Aeneas, Grimm and the Blue Crown Owl, Die Zauberflöte, Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi and Die Fledermaus and chorus master for Tosca, The Barber of Seville, La Traviata and the ARIA-nominated From a Black Sky.