School will soon be out for Maryland students, and the Maryland Opera has ideas for them.
For the 14th year since 2010, the Maryland Opera is offering a free summer opera camp held at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Baltimore City.
According to their press release, “[t]he camp is offered completely free of charge through the generosity of donors who wish to encourage young vocal talent.”
The camp runs for two weeks, from July 10-23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. It’s open to Maryland high schoolers in grades 9 though 12, including seniors who are graduating at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
Instruction will focus on voice, drama, and opera/voice coaching. There will also be master classes in dance, movement, and yoga. “The camp will also feature ‘Create & Produce’ in which campers will learn how an opera comes to life while creating their own compositions,” according to the press release.
The camp will culminate with a performance on Sunday, July 23 at 5 p.m. at The Church of the Redeemer in North Baltimore, which will be free and open to the public.
Some campers will have the chance to perform in the “Arias Alfresco” concert at 7 p.m. that same evening at The Church of the Redeemer, which will feature two professional opera singers. Tickets are $20 each and are available here.
Selected campers will even have the opportunity to sing at one of the Maryland Opera’s summer outdoor performances scheduled throughout the summer and fall.
The opera camp is one of Maryland Opera’s outreach programs, whose goals include bringing the “excitement and beauty of live opera–traditional programming as well as innovative and modern approaches–to diverse audiences, including historically underserved audiences throughout Maryland.”
James Harp, Maryland Opera’s artistic director, is excited about the positive impact this kind of program holds for Maryland’s youth.
“As Maryland Opera anticipates a new concert season celebrating our roots and heritage, we remain committed to nurturing and supporting our deserving musical ‘seedlings’ – our young and spectacularly talented opera singers of the future,” Harp said. “Through this potentially life-changing program our young vocalists can envision their future and realize that their dreams can come true. We welcome everyone to apply for the program and look forward to seeing the blossoming of great talent and inspiration!”
Potential campers will need to complete the application on the Maryland Opera website and submit a video recording of their singing. Applications must be submitted by June 10, 2023
