The ROH’s Youth Opera programmes provide children aged 7 to 13 with rigorous music and drama training, creative projects and the chance to perform in world leading opera productions with The Royal Opera. 

ROH Youth Opera is divided into two strands:

ROH Young Voices (Ages 7-8)

ROH Young Voices is a singing programme for 7-8 year olds, developing participants' vocal control, musical literacy and performing skills. As well as performing at concerts and other events at The Royal Opera House, participants gain a grounding in the skills required to progress into our older ensemble, the ROH Youth Opera Company.  

ROH Youth Opera Company (Ages 9-13)

ROH Youth Opera Company is our in-house chorus of 9 to 13 year olds. We offer participants all-round training in the performing arts, covering vocal technique, language coaching, acting and stage craft, musical literacy and creative processes for developing new work. The ROH YOC also has the opportunity to audition for the children’s chorus in one Royal Opera Company production per season.

Applications to join the Youth Opera programme for September 2024 are now open.

We hold annual audition workshops at the Royal Opera House for all children aged 7-11 who are state school educated, with a passion for singing and performing.

We welcome applications from all enthusiastic young singers and performers aged 7 to 11 years old. We encourage applicants from young people of all backgrounds, especially those who are from a global majority background. The recruitment process and programme is inclusive and accessible, and we invite applicants to contact us with any queries or requests for reasonable adjustments.

ROH Youth Opera Auditions: 20 and 21 July 2024

• A passion for and commitment to singing and good vocal control
• An interest in drama and performing skills
• The ability to collaborate well with others and follow direction

The Application

Complete the form below to express your child’s interest in auditioning. The form requires you to submit a short 30-second video of your child singing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song. All applicants will be contacted regardless of outcome.

Deadline for applications is 12noon on Monday 10 June 2024

The Audition

Groups will be split into 30 children per audition. Two Royal Opera House artists will run music- and drama-based games and will lead singing activities. We aim for our audition workshops to be fun, friendly and relaxed and regardless of the outcome, educational and enjoyable for all.  

The Sapling

The Sapling was a brand new opera commissioned by the Royal Opera House for the ROH Youth Opera Company, written by Jonathan Ainscough and composed by Jonathan Briggin in collaboration with the YOC.

Performed in the Linbury Theatre in July 2023, The Sapling tells its story through the words and voices of the Youth Opera Company, supported by professional singers and musicians. 

Imagine a world where all living things – humans, animals, trees alike – dwell together in perfect harmony, until a mighty storm changes everything; imagine a world in the shape of a monstrous Tower, where those at the top control the lives and voices of those beneath; imagine a world at the very end of the universe, where the artefacts of the past offer a glimpse of the future… The Sapling spans centuries and generations, crossing time and space to explore the consequences of greed, the oppression of silence and the fragile nature of hope.

The Youth Opera Company is supported by Yvonne and Bjarne Rieber and The Peters Family Foundation Cio