Opera Scotland

Aberdeen International Youth Festival

Posted 9 Jul 2013

Aberdeen's prestigious International Youth Festival (AIYF) has announced its programme and as usual it contains much of interest to opera buffs.  On 28 July there is to be a masterclass with Lisa Milne (soon to appear in Scottish Opera's Don Giovanni). Performers from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) will be giving a concert of operatic pieces on 29 July and one of opera scenes and songs on 1 August, following a week of acting workshops with Director Mark Hathaway and Head of Opera Tim Dean.

Young Russian singer Maya Tarasova will give a recital on 31 July in Clatt Auld Kirk. There is also an informal hour of songs, stories and opera suitable for all ages on 2 August.

The AIYF and RCS are seeking promising young singers aged 14-24 to take part in the prestigious summer opera and singing course, known as the Mary Garden Young Singer's residency. The successful candidates get a chance to participate in a variety of sessions with some of the most talented students and staff from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The programme runs from Friday 26 Jul to Friday 2 August. The young singers will have the chance to experience the many sides of opera performance and to find out just what it takes to make it in the industry.  Throughout the week, the students will also receive free tickets to the concerts and events programmed as part of the wider Festival schedule.  The application form can be downloaded from their website here.  To see details of over a hundred other Festival performances, go to their website.