The company's Young Artists Program is a four-week, intensive internship for young singers. During a whirlwind month of classes, rehearsal and performances, these young singers perform, hone their craft and learn from elder singers. There are four singers in this year's program. Queen is a tenor from Rochester, N.Y., where he is finishing his doctorate at the Eastman School of Music. The four also will give a recital next Sunday at the State Street Church.
Many opera companies have programs for younger singers.
For three of this year's singers, it is their fifth summer in a row doing apprentice programs. Mattalina has been in programs at Santa Fe and Des Moines, where she met her fiance. Nicolosi attended programs at Virginia Opera and Lake George Opera, among others. It used to be a standard career route for young singers to head to Europe and join small companies there. They would start in the chorus, where they could watch more mature singers perform, and work their way up to major roles.