Spotlight on Opera
Spotlight on Opera is Tulsa Opera’s artistic entrepreneurship and training program for aspiring artists aged 15 and up.
Spotlight participants come to Tulsa from all over the world to spend four+ intensive weeks honing their craft with role study, performance experiences, and a unique curriculum designed to meet each artist where they are and provide a transformational experience that will boost their artistry to the next level.
Spotlight expands Tulsa Opera’s educational programming to include high school to post-graduate students and provide them with a vital step in their journey to becoming professional artists, teachers, technical theater professionals, conductors, and coach pianists.
The curriculum includes 1:1 voice lessons, musical and dramatic coachings, and career consultations; classes in acting, diction, the Business of Singing, Development/Fundraising, special topics, and the Audition Makeover Masterclass. Spend the summer honing your artistic skills, adding to your resume, and building your business!
2027 Summer Season
Repertoire to include:
July 11-August 8, 2027
Double Bill: Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Ching’s Buoso’s Ghost
Two performances, sung in English with piano. Single cast. Fully staged and costumed.
Opera Scenes Showcase
Two performances, sung in original languages with piano. Single cast. Fully staged and costumed.
Armienta’s Los coyotes y las conejas/The Coyotes and the Rabbits
Children’s touring opera, minimum 6 performances, sung in English and Spanish with piano. Double cast. Fully staged and costumed.
Aria Extravaganza Concert
One performance, sung in original languages with piano. Single cast.
Additional performances may be added.
Tuition: $2500
Travel, housing, food, local transportation, and other expenses are not included. We do offer resources for locating housing, roommates, and ridesharing.
Application Requirements
- $25 fee (applied to tuition if accepted; refunded if not accepted).
- Online application and resume/headshot submission.
- 3-5 opera or oratorio arias, art songs, or musical theatre songs submitted by video (YouTube link).
- Live auditions will be heard in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
- Video auditions and auditions via the NATS Summer Program Auditions are also available.
- Participants in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition – Tulsa District may have the opportunity to have their audition considered for Spotlight on Opera.
Scholarships
A limited number of full and partial tuition scholarships are available to qualified candidates. To apply for a scholarship, please send a letter of interest and two letters of recommendation to us at spotlight@tulsaopera.com. These materials may arrive separately from your application but will not be considered until your application is complete.
Applications are now open for Spotlight on Opera’s 2027 Summer Season.
Video auditions accepted through February 1, 2027
In-Person Audition Dates
Friday, December 4, 2026
Late afternoon/evening times TBA
Oklahoma City University
2501 N. Blackwelder
Oklahoma City, OK 73106-1493
Saturday, December 12, 2026
Later afternoon/evening times TBA
Laven Sowell Opera Center
1610 S. Boulder Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74119
Saturday, January 9, 2027
6:00-9:00 PM
Laven Sowell Opera Center
1610 S. Boulder Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74119
My time at Spotlight was one of, if not the most, informative experiences of my life, because it taught me so much about who I am and who I want to be.
The training I received through the extraordinary coaches, teachers, and directors gave me a strong foundation to pursue my dreams to sing opera again after a long break away. Spotlight on Opera says that opera is for everyone and I am a testament to that. I definitely received more than my money's worth.
Voices After Dark
Spotlight on Opera is Tulsa Opera’s artistic entrepreneurship and training program designed for aspiring artists aged 15 and up.
Students spend five intensive weeks in Tulsa honing their craft with role study, performance experiences, and a unique curriculum designed to meet each artist where they are and provide a transformational experience that will boost their artistry to the next level.
Spotlight expands Tulsa Opera’s educational programming to include high school to post-graduate students and provide them with a vital step in their journey to becoming professional artists, teachers, technical theater professionals, conductors, and coach pianists.
The curriculum includes 1:1 voice lessons, musical and dramatic coachings, and career consultations; classes in acting, diction, the Business of Singing, Development/Fundraising, special topics, and the Audition Makeover Masterclass. Spend the summer honing your artistic skills, adding to your resume, and building your business!
Jul. 12, 2026 | 7:30pm | Free Welcome Concert
Free Welcome Concert
Join Spotlight on Opera’s distinguished teaching artists as they welcome the 2026 participants with a concert and reception.
-
Megan Barth Argo
Maestro Aaron Beck
Gwendolyn Brown
Machele Miller Dill
Whitney Hollis
Felix Jarrar
Nicholas Simpson
Andrew Stuckey
Cindy Sadler
Kara Shay Thomson
Lori Decter Wright
Baden Hall at The Laven Sowell Opera Center
1610 S. Boulder Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119Get Directions
Jul. 25, 2026 | 7:30pm | Acts of Passion: An Evening of Verdi
Acts of Passion:
An Evening of Verdi
Spotlight teaching artists and participants unite for a riveting evening of selections from Verdi’s greatest compositions, including excerpts from Rigoletto, Falstaff, La traviata, MacBeth, Il trovatore, the Verdi Requiem, and more.
- Conducted by
- Felix Jarrar
- Chorus prepared by
- Dottie Randall
- Pianists
-
Megan Barth Argo
Maestro Aaron Beck -
Teaching Artists
Kara Shay Thomson, soprano
Gwendolyn Brown, contralto
Cindy Sadler, contralto
Nicholas Simpson, tenor
Andrew Stuckey, baritone
Matthew Treviño, bassSOPRANOS
Amanda Britt
Jessica Broaddus
Sabrina Cohn
Faith Dengate
Lila Frazier
Jonel LaTorre
Jenn Liebig
Melody Prater
Jessi Rhinehart
Lauren Stokke
Dalena Williamson
Genevieve YoungMEZZOS
Amelia DeCosterTENORS
Kyle Gallien
Joshua Ross
Nathan RotheBARITONES
Orest Dutko
Kirkland Fenerty
Baden Hall at The Laven Sowell Opera Center
1610 S. Boulder Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119Get Directions
Jul. 28-Jul. 31, 2026 | | Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears
Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM & 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Get Directions
Thursday, July 30, 2026
10:00 – 10:30 AM
Get Directions
Friday, July 31, 2026
10:00 – 10:30 AM
Get Directions
When bug-loving Goldie gets lost while chasing butterflies, she meets the musical Bear family and has to make a tough decision about whether to keep a secret or risk making her new friends mad by confessing to being the sneaky robber who ate their dinner!
- Directed by
- Nicholas Simpson
- Music Director and Pianist
- Whitney Hollis
- Goldie B. Locks
- Lila Frazier, Melody Prater
- Peek
- Joshua Ross
- Mama Bear
- Sabrina Cohn
- Papa Bear
- Kyle Gallien
Jul. 31, 2026 | 6:30pm | Aria Extravaganza Concert
Aria Extravaganza Concert
- Music Director and Pianist
- Aaron Beck
-
Amanda Britt
Jessica Broaddus
Sabrina Cohn
Amelia DeCoster
Faith Dengate
Orest Dutko
Kyle Gallien
Kirkland Fenerty
Lila Frazier
Jonel LaTorre
Jenn Liebig
Melody Prater
Jessi Rhinehart
Josh Ross
Nathan Rothe
Lauren Stokke
Dalena Williamson
Genevieve Young
Holliman Center at Trinity Woods
4134 E. 31st St., Tulsa, OK 74135Get Directions
Aug. 1, 2026 | 7:30pm | Opera at College Hill Concert
Opera at College Hill Concert
- Music Director and Pianist
- Aaron Beck
-
Amanda Britt
Jessica Broaddus
Sabrina Cohn
Amelia DeCoster
Faith Dengate
Orest Dutko
Kyle Gallien
Kirkland Fenerty
Lila Frazier
Jonel LaTorre
Jenn Liebig
Melody Prater
Jessi Rhinehart
Josh Ross
Nathan Rothe
Lauren Stokke
Dalena Williamson
Genevieve Young
College Hill Presbyterian Church
712 S. Columbia Ave., Tulsa, OK 74104Get Directions
Aug. 6, 2026 | 6:45pm | The Magic Flute concert and film at Circle Cinema
The Magic Flute concert and film at Circle Cinema
- Music Director
- Megan Barth Argo
- Pianist
- Felix Jarrar
- Pamina
- Lauren Stokke
- Papageno
- Kirkland Fenerty
- Queen of the Night
- Jonel LaTorre
- Sarastro
- Chris Jenkins
- Papagena
- Jessica Broaddus
Circle Cinema
10 S Lewis Ave., Tulsa, OK 74104Get Directions
Famed Swedish director Ingmar Berman’s childhood enchantment with The Magic Flute led to his award-winning 1975 film version, hailed by critics as a “blissful present, a model of how opera can be filmed.” Featuring a pre-screening concert by Spotlight on Opera cast members.
Aug. 7 & 9, 2026 | | The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
by W.A. Mozart
and
Baden Hall at The Laven Sowell Opera Center
1610 S. Boulder Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119Get Directions
- Directed by
- Cindy Sadler
- Conducted by
- Megan Barth Argo
- Chorus prepared by
- Dottie Randall
- Principal Pianist
- Felix Jarrar
- Pamina
- Lauren Stokke
- Tamino
- Namarea Randolph-Yosea
- Papageno
- Kirkland Fenerty
- Queen of the Night
- Jonel LaTorre
- Sarastro /
Speaker of the Temple - Chris Jenkins
- Papagena
- Dalena Williamson
- First Lady
- Amanda Britt
- Second Lady
- Jenn Liebig
- Third Lady
- Amelia de Coster
- Monostatos
- Nathan Rothe
- First Priest /
First Armored Man - Kyle Gallien
- Second Priest /
Second Armored Man - Joshua Ross
- Third Priest
- Genevieve Young
- First Slave
- Orest Dutko
- Second Slave
- Sabrina Cohn
- Third Slave
- Genevieve Young
Aug. 14, 2026 | 7:30pm | Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel
by Engelbert Humperdinck
The traditional Grimm fairytale comes to life in this charming children’s opera that the whole family will enjoy. When an exasperated Mother sends Hansel and Gretel into the woods to pick strawberries, the hungry children get lost and then discover a magical cottage made of candy! There’s just one catch: a wicked Witch who wants to eat them. Fully staged and costumed. Sung in English with piano.
- Directed by
- Machele Miller Dill
- Conducted by
- Felix Jarrar
- Chorus prepared by
- Dottie Randall
- Principal Pianist
- Whitney Hollis
- Hansel
- Amelia DeCoster
- Gretel
- Faith Dengate
- Witch
- Jessi Rhinehart
- Peter (Father)
- Kirkland Fenerty
- Gertrude (Mother)
- Amanda Britt
- Sandman
- Jessica Broaddus
- Dew Fairy
- Dalena Williamson
Baden Hall at The Laven Sowell Opera Center
1610 S. Boulder Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119Get Directions