2025/26 Season
Upcoming Events + Registration Information:
Fall Opera Scenes Production: The Cabaret on 46th
This fall, the Youth Opera Company dives into the imaginary world of a cabaret near the United Nations in with an imaginative, original production involving cabaret and operetta repertoire in English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish.
Young singers from across the region will come together to explore this rich repertoire while gaining skills in:
Basic IPA symbols (International Phonetic Alphabet)
Vocal technique and musical style
Character development and staging
Faculty:
🎬 Sarah Cullins — Stage Director, Script & Vocal Coach
🎹 Mary Jane Austin — Music Director, Coach & Collaborative Pianist
Rehearsals:
🗓 Sundays, 12:00–3:00 PM, beginning September 7
📍 Main locations: Waterbury Congregational Church & Faith United Methodist Church (South Burlington)
Special rehearsals:
September 7 & 28 in Middlebury
November 24, 25, 28 from 1:00–5:00 PM, location TBD
Performances:
🗓 November 29 & 30, 2025
📍 Locations: Middlebury, Waterbury, and South Burlington
Participant Requirements:
🎶 Concurrent private voice study
🎤 Informal audition for new students (for casting only)
🎵 Participation in your school’s choral program is strongly encouraged
Tuition:
Full Tuition: $500 (paid in two installments)
Reduced tuition levels are also available - more information on the registration form
Registration:
📌 Returning students: Register here!
📌 New students: Please contact Sarah Cullins at youthoperavt@yahoo.com to schedule an audition.
The Dido & Aeneas Project at Champlain Valley Union High School
After a hugely successful run in Addison County, The Dido & Aeneas Project arrives at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg!
In this interdisciplinary collaboration, Teaching Artist Sarah Cullins will work weekly with CVU chorus classes, led by Choral Director Cameron Brownell, to prepare for a spectacular performance during the school’s Celebration of the Arts in January 2026.
🌟 Highlights include:
Choral, solo, and dance selections from Dido & Aeneas
Latin narration by CVU students from Virgil’s Aeneid, in partnership with the Latin department
This project brings history, music, and movement to life — and celebrates the power of collaboration across the arts!
Spring Opera Scenes Production
Language/focus: TBD
Rehearsals begin: January 18, 2026
Performances: April 10-12, 2026
TRAIN. PERFORM. CONNECT.
We are thrilled to announce that, as of September 2023, we have officially added a robust opera education program for teens to our annual activities!
The Youth Opera Company of OCM is made possible through a merger between the Opera Company of Middlebury and the organization formerly known as the Youth Opera Company of Vermont.
The Youth Opera Company of OCM uses opera as a tool to inspire our participants to reach for excellence in a myriad of skills, to build their confidence as singers and people, and to give back to their communities in a meaningful way. To this end, we offer unique training and performance opportunities in after-school programs, summer programs and school residencies, and partner with local arts organizations to offer community service opportunities in senior residences and community centers. All of our programs offer scholarship assistance and a commitment to inclusion.
While opera might seem like an old-fashioned art form that wouldn’t appeal to today’s teens, our programs have successfully proven to participants and audiences alike that opera can be just as relevant and exciting as any other form of storytelling. With simple productions that are fresh and modern, we keep the focus on our singers’ amazing talent and the essential aspects of the story, and have converted many opera skeptics into opera lovers.
Studying opera also requires high-level training in multiple skill sets and the same emphasis on teamwork, discipline and self-confidence as any varsity sports team. Our participants may or may not decide to pursue opera as a career path, but they will certainly be lifelong lovers and supporters of the arts with valuable and transferable skills and a sense of social responsibility that will play an important role in their futures.
Interested in becoming a Youth Opera Business Sponsor?
This year we’re offering two tiers of Youth Opera Company of OCM Business Sponsorship!
YOC Event Sponsorship - $250
Choose one: Spring Program Sponsor, Project Serenade Sponsor or Fall Program Sponsor. You will be thanked with a half-page ad in your sponsored YOC program and your logo on the website for that event.
YOC Season Sponsorship - $750
Includes a half-page ad in each YOC program and your logo on the website and emails for all 2025 YOC events.