(Credit: © Nick Hufton)

The Royal Opera House Covent Garden has announced “Meet the Young Artists Week 2020,” which will take place from Oct. 26 – Oct. 31, 2020.

The Jette Parker Young Artists program is a two-year apprenticeship at the ROH, that involves young talents just starting their musical careers. Four new talents joined the program this year including British soprano Alexandra Lowe, Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Kseniia Nikolaieva, Russian tenor Egor Zhuravskii, and Congolese bass Blaise Malaba. Members of the program entering their second season include  South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, British mezzo-soprano Stephanie Wake-Edwards, Tongan/New Zealand tenor Filipe Manu, and Uruguayan tenor Andrés Presno.  

The event kicks off with “Solo Stories,” which will spotlight mezzo-soprano Stephanie Wake-Edwards in the modern adaptation of Haydn’s “Arianna a Naxos” directed by Mathilda du Tillieul McNicol; Soprano Alexandra Lowe in “La dame de Monte Carlo” by Poulenc directed by Franciska Ery; and finally South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha in the role of Rose in the solo adaptation of Jake Heggie’s “At the Statue of Venus,” directed by Eva Sampson.

Performance Date: Oct. 25, 2020

“Jukebox 1” will see the singers from the JPYA performing snippets of three of their favorite songs and arias . The event will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube.

Performance Date: Oct. 26, 2020

Another event will start with tenor Andrés Presno, soprano Alexandra Lowe, mezzo-soprano Kseniia Nikolaieva and bass Blaise Malaba performing live at the Linbury Theatre. The repertoire includes works by Brahms, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, and Tchaikovsky.

Performance Date: Oct. 28, 2020

Online audiences will vote to decide which piece each singer will get to perform at the “Jukebox 2” at the end week.

Performance Date: Oct. 30, 2020

The week will end with a special celebratory concert of ensembles. The concert will feature works by Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini and Rossini, and will be broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube.

Performance Date: Oct. 31, 2020