The American Lyric Theater (ALT) has announced major changes to its Composers Librettist Development Program.

First off, the program will be presented in a combination of virtual and face-to-face workshops with travel and accommodation in the city of New York. Furthermore, American Lyric Theater will provide a $20,00o stipend for each of the artists received.

Finally, all artists who complete the first year of the program will be commissioned by American Lyric Theater to write an opera under the auspices of the program; there will be increased commission fees for each artist as their works are developed in partnerships between American Lyric Theater and other organizations.

Applications for the period 2021 – 2022 will be open until April 30. Three composers and librettists will be admitted for the cycle that will start in September 2021. The stipend offered by ALT will focus on addressing issues of racial equity and access.

“It is essential that we provide a platform for artists to create new works and help them tell stories that are meaningful to them,” said composer Jorge Sosa, a CLDP Alum, OWDARI Advisory Council Member, and 2021 CLDP Guest Lecturer, in a press release. “Relevance in the arts will be directly linked to diversity and equity in years to come. It is an exciting time for the art form as it expands its color palette. The CLDP provides not only training but a meeting place for artists that share the same goals. It has provided me with great opportunities, contacts, and access to collaborators who have in many cases become lifelong artistic partners.”