Florida Grand Opera Announces Second YALA Summer Vocal Institute

Florida Grand Opera (FGO) is accepting applications for its second annual Youth Artist Learning Academy (YALA) Summer Vocal Institute. Specifically designed for students in grades 7-12, YALA gears its program toward young aspiring opera singers, those who want to learn about backstage craft, as well as people who simply seek to develop an appreciation of the art form. YALA's staff of seasoned industry professionals will provide an indelible, hands-on experience in the world of opera.

YALA 2017 runs from June 12 through June 30, 2017, on weekdays only. Those applicants accepted into the program will be enrolled in a high-level operatic boot camp, taking classes in performance style, diction, design, and production.

"YALA gives young people interested in opera an experience they will never forget," says Rebekah Diaz-Fandrei, Florida Grand Opera's Director of Education and Community Engagement. "Last year's program was immensely successful. It is the hope of everyone at FGO that this program provides a foundation of learning and experience for people who may wind up having careers in the opera industry. We also hope that the YALA Summer Institute will be building a generation of opera lovers for the future."

Among the highlights of the YALA Experience:

* Exclusive workshops with Florida Grand Opera senior staff.

* Masterclasses with experienced opera professionals, several of whom have performed on the stage of Florida Grand Opera.

* A showcase performance in Florida Grand Opera's Balfe Studio, which in recent seasons has served as the rehearsal space for such major artists as Denyce Graves, Lauren Flanigan, Kelly Kaduce, Sarah Coburn, David Pittsinger, Elizabeth Futral, Elliot Madore, Eglise Gutiérrez, Keith Phares, and Brandon Jovanovich.

* Graduates from YALA 2017 will get to repeat their final showcase in a full-scale professional performance at the newly opened Pompano Beach Cultural Arts Center on September 16, 2017.

Classes are held each day from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The base cost of YALA tuition is $1,500.00. A limited number of partial to full need-based scholarships are available; a scholarship form can be made available when applying for the program.

Highlights planned for this year's curriculum include:

Opera Fan Fiction: a creative look at what is really happening in the plots of some of the most beloved operas in the repertoire.

Opera in Infamy: tales of the drama, intrigue, laughter, and chaos behind the scenes.

Behind the Curtain: an introduction to the crafts of stage make-up, costuming, set design, lighting, stage management, casting-all of the components that make an opera production come together.

Improv Acting: seasoned industry professionals coach participants on how to bring their opera characters to life with immediacy and imagination.

Opera Scenes: a chance to combine all the skills participants have learned at YALA and to perform ensemble numbers with classmates.

Advanced Techniques: Career Track: from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm, these optional classes are held to prepare aspiring singers for future auditions and career choices. (Participants enrolled in these classes will be charged an additional $300.00.)

Location of classes: Florida Grand Opera's Doral Center, 8390 NW 25th Street Miami, FL 33122.

Application deadline: May 31, 2017. (Scholarship applications deadline: May 1, 2017.) Space is limited, so applications should be submitted as soon as possible. For questions, contact Florida Grand Opera Director of Education and Community Engagement, Rebekah Diaz-Fandrei, at rdiazfandrei@fgo.org or call (305) 403-3308. Download and print applications online by following the YALA link on www.FGO.org.