The Glimmerglass Festival has announced the launch of the Hupper Family Festival Artists program.

The new initiative is designed to provide rising operatic and musical theater talent with a critical stepping stone between training and full-fledged professional careers. The program is made possible through a family gift in memory of longtime Glimmerglass trustee and devoted arts advocate Joyce McC. Hupper and her husband John R (Jack) Hupper. The program will support two early-career singers each summer, beginning with mezzo-soprano Taylor-Alexis DuPont and bass Sergio Martinez as the inaugural Festival Artists for the 2025 season.

The Hupper Family Festival Artists program builds on Glimmerglass’s Resident Artists Program by offering additional performance opportunities, exposure, and career support to artists at a pivotal point in their professional journey.

In a press release DePont said, “The Festival has given me so many incredible opportunities — not just to perform, but to grow. It has given me one of the greatest gifts an artist can receive: a supportive environment that encourages me to take risks and challenge myself artistically. It has allowed me to explore and discover many tools that I use as an opera singer, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity the Festival has given me to both perform and thrive. Glimmerglass has truly left a mark on me as an artist. I’m honored and proud to be an inaugural Festival Artist.”

Moving forward, each season two singers will be selected from among recent Resident Artist alumni to return to Glimmerglass in featured roles. In addition to performing in two named roles each season, they will receive a solo performance opportunity, participate in industry-facing events, including auditions for agents and presenting companies, and be highlighted in Glimmerglass media, marketing, and print publications.

Festival Artists will be selected by a panel of Glimmerglass artistic leaders, based on recommendations from the company’s casting and training teams. Artists will be chosen not only for their vocal and dramatic gifts, but also for their professionalism, versatility, and collaborative spirit — hallmarks of the Glimmerglass ethos.

Martinez added to the press release by recalling a defining moment from his time as a Resident Artist. He said, “In 2022, I was asked to jump in as Zuñiga in Carmen just hours before curtain. It was one of the biggest moments of my career — terrifying and thrilling all at once. The entire company stood behind me. I only remember the tears streaming down my face and the joy I felt from the entire Resident Artist group. They knew what I had just accomplished. They saw me. That’s what Glimmerglass is about. It’s about family — laughing, struggling, loving, crying, and showing up for one another. It’s about being seen by your peers, who understand the depth of dedication required to pursue this path. Coming back now as a Festival Artist reflects the trust this company places in its artists, and its commitment to helping us reach our full potential.”

The 50th anniversary season of the Glimmerglass Festival runs July 11 through Aug. 17.

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