Opera Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico is set to present Rossini’s “L’Occasione fa il Ladro.”

The opera will be part of its Apprentice Artist Program, which began in 2014 and selects artists through competitive national auditions.

In a statement said OSW Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Anthony Barrese said, “Many opera companies in the U.S. have apprentice programs, but ours is unique. We give them the opportunity to perform in a fully produced opera, not just perform in the chorus or cover one of the parts for other singers.”

The cast will include Phillip Lopez, Erin Alford, Radnel Ofalsa, Sedona Libero, Zizhao Wang, and Jacob Rivera. Anthony Barrese and Nathaniel Efthimiou conduct the production.

Rossini’s rarely performed work will be presented on Sept. 8 through Sept. 20, 2023.