OPERA/THEATRE PROGRAM
Performing. Auditions. Agents.
VINCENT CONNOR | ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP
Vincent Connor is Artistic Director of the Vienna Summer Music Festival, where he has established himself as a leading force in opera performance and education. A visionary stage director, Connor is known for productions that balance musical integrity with theatrical innovation, emphasizing clarity of narrative and emotional depth. Under his leadership, the festival has become an important platform for emerging artists, composers, and conductors, offering immersive opportunities to collaborate with international faculty and perform in Vienna’s historic venues. His commitment to mentorship, community-building, and bold artistic vision ensures that opera remains a dynamic and evolving art form, while inspiring the next generation of performers to achieve excellence on stage.
ABOUT
The Vienna Summer Music Festival is now accepting applications for its 2026 season, held July–August in Vienna, Austria. This performance-based program offers an immersive, professional experience for singers and theatre artists at the heart of one of the world’s great cultural capitals.
Participants engage in a rigorous schedule of rehearsals, coachings, and productions, designed to bridge academic training with the realities of a professional career. Daily masterclasses, private voice lessons, and individual coachings are led by distinguished artists from the Vienna State Opera, Vienna Volksoper, and Theater an der Wien. In addition, the program hosts guest casting directors and agents from both Europe and the United States, offering invaluable industry exposure.
Each participant is guaranteed one to two named roles, a cover assignment, and ensemble opportunities. All singers perform with our orchestra, ensuring every artist gains substantial stage experience.
The 2026 season repertoire includes Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Bizet’s Carmen, and the contemporary staging of Nine the Musical. As the centerpiece of the season, the Festival will also present a large-scale performance of Mozart’s Requiem.
Through this intensive program, participants not only develop their artistry but also step into real-world performance settings that prepare them for the next stage of their careers.
OPERA/THEATRE PROGRAM
Theatre Program (July 1st - July 21st)
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Perform in NINE the MUSICAL
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Program Fee €4750
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In addition to the regular curriculum; receive specialized classes in acting and dancing in addition to your vocal work.
Opera Program (July 7th - August 3rd)
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Perform in one or more of our mainstage operas which include; MAGIC FLUTE, SUOR ANGELICA, and CARMEN
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Program Fee €4750
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In addition to the regular curriculum; receive specialized classes from our world renowned faculty from the Vienna State Opera, Vienna Volksoper, and Metropolitan Opera
Hybrid: Active in both the Theatre and Opera Program
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Perform in NINE the Musical and one of our mainstage operas
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Program Fee €5750
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Receive additional classes in acting and dancing along side your regular curriculum
The OPERA/THEATRE gives singers the experience of performing professional-level shows on stage with a live orchestra/band. Participants work with renowned faculty and directors.
PROGRAM FEE INCLUDES
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Includes: housing, private lessons, coachings, facilities, faculty, masterclasses, visiting guests, cultural excursions
CURRICULUM
Private Lessons
Vocalists will receive applied voice lessons with a private voice instructor from the Opera Institute faculty. Applied lessons will be individualized to the vocalist’s experience and will focus primarily on vocal technique and repertoire.
Vocal Coachings
Vocalists will receive coachings with a vocal coach from the Vocal Arts faculty. Coachings will be individualized to the vocalist’s personal experience and will focus on repertoire, diction, musicianship, and interpretation.
Masterclasses
Vocalists will participate in regular master classes with renowned artists. Vocalists will have the opportunity to perform in a masterclass with an aria from their repertoire. These master classes will be geared towards crafting an audition ready performance.
Manager Day
We are happy to annouce that we will have five artist agency representatives join on program from the U.S.A and Europe
VSMF 2026 Productions
Meet the VSMF Voice Faculty
Our world-class faculty have major careers working as professional singers, maestri, vocal coaches, and stage directors.
Vincent Connor
Artistic Director
A native of Winter Park, Florida,Vincent Connor has established himself as prominent and versatile stage director. (Click here to learn more)
Christian Schulz, Maestro
Artistic Director of the Mozart Collegium Vienna and Music Director of the concert series Schwingungen in the Golden Hall of the Wiener Musikverein, originates from a well-known Viennese family of musicians.
David Aaronson
Vocal Coach
David Aronson, a native of New York, holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam. He began...
Daniel Sarge, Coach
Daniel has enjoyed his tenure at the state operas of Hamburg and Vienna, and regularly works with the leading singers of the world such as Erwin Schrott, Elena Zhidkova, Anna Netrebko, and Camilla Nylund.
Evelyn Schorkhuber
Evelyn Schörkhuber was born in Steyr, Austria and received her earliest musical training in Waidhofen/Ybbs.
GARTH BARDSLEY
Award-winning opera director, Garth Bardsley studied at St John's College, Cambridge, and at the Royal Northern College of Music. He made his operatic debut...
Sylvia Edelmann
Voice Teacher
Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria/Spain. She studied voice at the Conservatory in her hometown and worked as a soloist in the ballet of Las Palmas.
Stephanie Houtzeel
Voice Teacher
American mezzo‐Soprano STEPHANIE HOUTZEEL was born in Kassel, Germany and grew up near Boston.
Pantelis Polychronidis
Vocal Coach
Dr. Pantelis Polychronidis is a collaborative pianist, educator and scholar. Since 2014, he is Senior...
Jennifer Davison, Director/Teacher
Jennifer Davison has won acclaim from audiences and critics alike for her work on the operatic and concert stages of both Europe and the United States.
Elizabeth Hagedorn
Voice Teacher
With her "brilliant and richly coloured sound" (Die Welt), Elizabeth Hagedorn has made a name for herself through multi-faceted character portrayals in the spinto soprano repertoire.
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Kalle Kanttila
Kalle Kanttila is the founder and director of IOA Management. International Opera Artists was established in 2012 and is an agency for opera singers...
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Applicants for the OPERA/THEATRE PROGRAM are required to submit two contrasting operatic arias, one of which needs to be sung in French, Italian, or German. Additionally, applicants who would like to be considered for musical should submit one or two contrasting songs. One from the Golden Age of Musical Theatre and one contemporary song.
All application and audition materials including YouTube links, audio files, headshot, resume and must be submitted via a single link to an approved file sharing site such as Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or iCloud.
Resumes may be submitted as PDF or Word Document files only, and should include the applicant’s first and last name.
Video auditions need to be submitted as YouTube links, and audio auditions should be submitted as MP3 files, and should be included in the materials included in the single file sharing link. File names should include the applicant’s first and last name, program of interest, and the creation date of the recording. (Example: Emily Brown_Opera Institute_08/16.MP3)
All applicants will be contacted by The Vienna Summer Music Festival for a phone or video conference interview, and should receive an initial response in 7-10 business days.
After completing the application, you will be redirected to PayPal to complete a $35 submission fee.