In 2008 the Festival received 35 applicants for the 15 spots of this coveted program. This past December over 500 applications were received for the 15 coveted spots. The focus of the program is to prepare today’s young artists for a professional opera career in the 21st Century. Audiences will have an opportunity to see these amazingly talented young artists perform scenes from famous operas, arias with the Festival Symphony Orchestra, with the Opera Children’s Chorus and in master classes with Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and Dramaturg, Cori Ellison
