2024 Opera training Details
Croatian Opera Academy is proud to offer a summer opera training program, tailor-made for singers of all backgrounds.
Four productions
Become a member of one of the 4 casts - La Clemenza di Tito, King Arthur, Hansel and Gretel or Dido and Aeneas.
Renowed mentors
All our mentors are carefully selected to fit the educational needs of all participants. Vocal rehearsals, stage rehearsals, all is ready for you!
National theatre
Perform and practice on the stage of Croatian National Theater in Varaždin.
We guarantee each applicant an individualized feedback, regardless of the application results.
If you do get in, first steps include online role prep with lecturers and the director before the start of the academy and free accomodation in Varaždin, Croatia, once you're with us.
We will be working together on role and repertoire trainings, audition workshops, master classes and individual vocal trainings in rehersing rooms available 6 days a week in order to create the best performance that the stage of the Croatian National Theatre has ever seen.
As an extra bonus, there is individual career counseling as well as career-oriented workshops.
Opera Mentors
They all follow our 3 educational pillars: Precision, Patience, Practice
David Oštrek
Founder and Artistic director
Bass-baritone ensemble member at Berlin State Opera and soloist at the Bavarian State Opera, Irish National Opera, Bregenz Festival, Berlin Philharmonie.
Lana Kos
Masterclass instructor
World renowned soprano at Arena di Verona, Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro Real, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Teatro San Carlo.
Giancarlo del Monaco
Masterclass instructor
One of the biggest directors of our time, son of the tenor legend Mario del Monaco.
Thomas Guggeis
Visiting Instructor
World-renowned conductor at the MET in New York, Scala di Milano, Vienna State Opera, Berlin State Opera and general music director of Frankfurt Opera.
Alfredo Daza
Masterclass instructor
World-renowned baritone at San Francisco Opera, Berlin State Opera, Dallas Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu, LA Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Teatro Colon.
Ena Pongrac
Instructor in residence
Mezzo-soprano soloist at Theater Basel, Grand Théâtre de Genève and Jyväskylän Ooppera in Finland.
Taro Morikawa
Director
Director and stage manager at MDW Wien, Bregenzer Festspiele, Theater an der Wien.
Darijan Ivezić
Conductor
Conductor and pianist at Zagreb National Theatre and Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich.
Jaka Mihelač
Instructor in residence
Baritone soloist at State Opera Berlin, Opera National de Montpellier, Festival Aix-en-Provence, Slovenian National Opera.
Tamara Ivaniš
Instructor in residence
Soprano soloist at Salzburger Landestheater.
Choose your role & perform on-stage!
Along with director preparations, role rehearsals, stage rehearsals and corrections with the conductor, you can participate in:
Individual voice lessons
Masterclasses
Audition workshops
Career counselling
And more! :)
Student Testimonials
In case you are still not convinced, listen to what our ex-students have to say.
Ana Gabriela Pulido
I especially like the family feeling here. I learned a lot about singing, but even more about what the life of professional singers looks like.
Tanya Malykh
Coming here was an easy decision. I have been here 2 times already so I knew I am getting an amazing summer. There is so much you can learn only in this particular setting
Jurica Jurasic Kapun
It’s the stage! You get a real experience singing on-stage in a real production with a professional orchestra. That’s really important for young singers.
Did we tell you accommodation is also covered?
No need to worry about organisation, just worry about practicing your role.
You will be staying in the heart of our wonderful city of Varazdin!
Stay up to date
Stay in the loop about applications opening, receive exclusive announcements and discounts. Even get tips from our mentors!
Have some questions?
If you have a question that is not listed below or wish to have a chat, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
DO I NEED TO SPEAK CROATIAN?
No. All COA programs are conducted in English. Croatian people are also very internationally friendly and can adapt to new people easily, so you won’t need to be fluent in Croatian in order to explore the cities and our culture.
IS THERE AN AGE LIMIT IN ORDER TO APPLY?
There are no age limits in order for you to participate in COA programs. The average age of participants is between ages of 19-36, but we accept musicians based on their potential, not age.
ARE ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD INCLUDED IN MY TUITION?
Accommodation will be provided for you in the city of Varaždin. As for your meals, they are not included in your tuition. You can find more information about what’s included in your tuition here.
WHAT IF I AM NOT SURE WHICH ROLE TO APPLY FOR?
Don’t worry. This doesn’t impact your application at all. During the selection process our team will assign you a role that is best suited for you based on your voice and experience.
DO YOU ACCEPT APPLICATIONS VIA EMAIL?
We can only accept applications submitted via the form on our website. Once the form is submitted you will be requested to pay application fee. This covers a small part of our administrative expenses.If you have any issues with the form, please contact us via email.
WHAT DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS LOOK LIKE?
You can find all the details here. Shortly, you submit the online form and pay an application fee. After that you will get a confirmation email with further info. Expect one or 2 interviews. Role offer is the last step. :)
