Pittsburgh Festival Opera has announced the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Next Generation Artists Program, a new year-round training initiative made possible by a $1.375 million commitment from Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin.

The five-year gift will establish a tuition-free pathway for high school musicians from across Western Pennsylvania while also providing intensive training and performance opportunities for emerging opera artists from around the world.

The program will launch in fall 2026 with a high school-level training experience led by Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s professional staff. Throughout the year, students will prepare operatic scenes, arias and choruses before appearing in two featured concerts, one during the fall/winter season and another in the spring, in collaboration with a Youth Concert Orchestra.

Moreover, high school participants will also take part in preview performances for residents of local senior living communities through the Opera Through the Generations program.

Beginning in summer 2027, the emerging-artist component of the program will bring a select group of young artists to Pittsburgh for an intensive month-long residency. The tuition-free program will provide coaching and professional training from musicians and industry professionals from around the world as participants prepare and perform an Italian concert opera with full orchestra.

Selected high school singers will have the opportunity to further their training through private voice lessons, coaching and participation in the summer production alongside the emerging professional artists. Some students may also perform small roles or participate in the professional chorus.

“This extraordinary commitment from Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin allows us to invest deeply in young artists at two pivotal stages of their development,” said Marianne Cornetti, Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s General and Artistic Director, per an official press release. “It creates an accessible pathway from a student’s first serious exploration of opera to the intensive training and professional relationships that can help launch a career. We are profoundly grateful to the Kamins’ vision and generosity.”

The program will extend to instrumentalists as well. High school musicians from Pittsburgh-area youth orchestras may have opportunities to perform with the professional orchestra, creating a connected training experience that brings together students and emerging professionals.