What Is Tri-Cities Opera's Resident Artist Training Program?
Updated
Tri-Cities Opera's Resident Artist Training Program is a training track for aspiring opera singers that combines instruction with practical experience. It sits alongside the company's mainstage season and education work, and the site points visitors to a "learn more" page under its Training section for details. If you are a singer weighing a bridge between conservatory and professional stage work, this is the program to look at; if you are an audience member, it is the pipeline that puts emerging performers in front of you.
What the program is
The program is described as offering "a unique blend of instruction and practical experience" for aspiring opera singers. Two things are happening at once:
- Instruction — structured guidance for singers still developing their craft.
- Practical experience — actual work with a professional opera company, not classroom-only training.
That combination is the point. A young singer typically needs stage time, coaching, and repertoire in front of real audiences; a company needs performers for its season and outreach. A resident artist program is where those two needs meet.
Where it fits at Tri-Cities Opera
Tri-Cities Opera is based in Binghamton, New York, and operates several connected activities:
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Mainstage season | Full productions and concerts at the Opera Center and other venues |
| Resident Artist Training Program | Instruction and practical experience for aspiring singers |
| Education & Community | Opera-Go-Round, Youth Choir, and more |
| Rentals | Sets, costumes, props and furniture, orchestra parts |
The training program is one of four public-facing pillars, which tells you it is a standing part of the organization rather than a one-off workshop.
What to expect if you apply or attend
The site does not publish curriculum, stipend, or audition requirements on the pages summarized here, so treat those as open questions to confirm directly. What you can reasonably plan around:
- You will be doing both learning and performing. The program's own description pairs instruction with practical experience, so expect coaching and rehearsal alongside stage or outreach assignments.
- The season gives you material to work with. Upcoming productions listed for the 2026–2027 period include Hansel and Gretel, A Red, White, & Blue Christmas: Winter Concert, The Game of Love (Cosi fan Tutte), La Boheme, and the Pocket Opera Project (POP), plus Opera & Beer! — a resident artist cohort typically feeds into exactly this kind of slate.
- Education work may be part of the picture. Opera-Go-Round and the Youth Choir are listed under Education & Community, and resident artists at regional companies often appear in those programs.
How to get the actual details
Because the specifics live on a dedicated page, go to the source rather than guessing:
- Open tricitiesopera.com and find the Training section in the navigation.
- Follow the Resident Artist Training Program link for the full description.
- If the page does not answer your question, call the box office at 607-772-0400 — the site notes the company was having email technical difficulties and asks people to use phone or Facebook Messenger instead.
That last point matters: if you send an email inquiry and get no reply, it may be the known technical problem, not a decision about your application. Use the phone number.
Who this is for
- Aspiring opera singers looking for guided professional experience rather than another academic year.
- Audience members curious about how the company develops its performers — the resident artists are often the faces you see in smaller productions and community programs.
- Donors and supporters who want to know where contributions go; the site lists the training program as a core activity alongside mainstage opera and education.
If your question is about a specific audition date, compensation, or housing, those are not covered in the material available here — contact the company directly for anything that affects a decision to apply.