MassOpera and the Longy School of Music of Bard College have partnered to create an opera company-in-residence and support the artistic growth of exceptional young performers and graduates.

In the new partnership, MassOpera will work with 12 Longy Graduate students. There will be one-on-one sessions and coaching as well as the guarantee of a casting position in a MassOpera production. The company will also conduct a series of workshops for the entire vocal department.

“Mass Opera celebrates opera as a vibrant, living art form that seeks to disrupt conventions and closed ecosystems that keep the world of opera exclusive and nostalgic rather than looking to the future. We are delighted that our students benefit from the hands-on experience of working with an opera company in residence,” noted Longy School of Music Dean Judith Bose in an official press statement.

“In this partnership, Mass Opera benefits from institutional support from a larger organization with the Longy School of Music, including access to rehearsal and performance spaces. In addition, Longy’s new association kicks off this week with the rehearsal and recording of the development of our Women’s Caravan New Opera Workshop, a romantic comedy opera about Colombian immigrants living in Spain,” added MassOpera executive director Will Neely.