Acts of Passion: An Evening of Verdi

Performance: Saturday, July 25
Select Tulsa Youth Opera Students

The first production of the Spotlight on Opera at Tulsa Opera summer season, this concert of excerpts from Verdi’s opera will feature the forst production of the Spotlight on Opera at Tulsa Opera summer season, this concert of excerpts from Verdi’s opera will feature some special children’s choruses sung by students of Tulsa Youth Opera.

Mozart’s The Magic Flute

Performances: Friday, August 7 and Sunday, August 9
Select Tulsa Youth Opera Students

Come with Prince Tamino, Princess Pamina, and the birdcatcher Papageno on a magical coming-of-age adventure filled with dragons, dancing animals, enchanted flutes, a wicked Queen, and much more. There are three featured roles available for treble voices which will be cast with Tulsa Youth Opera singers. Fully staged and costumed, Sung in German with piano.

Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel

Performances: Friday, August 14 and Sunday, August 16
Select Tulsa Youth Opera Students

The traditional Grimm fairytale comes to life in this charming opera. Hansel and Gretel stray into the woods and discover a cottage made all of candy! There’s just one catch: a wicked Witch who wants to eat them. Select Tulsa Youth Opera singers will play the Gingerbread Children. Fully staged and costumed. Sung in English with piano.

Please note: All students cast in Spotlight on Opera at Tulsa Opera productions must commit to the full Tulsa Youth Opera season (September 2026 — June 2027). No exceptions.

Holiday Performance

December 2026 (date TBD)
The full TYO ensemble will participate in a beautiful annual holiday concert.

March Concert (Title TBA)

Performance: March 6, 2027, 7:30 p.m.
VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education at Tulsa Community College.
The full TYO ensemble will participate. Details coming soon!

Spring Show (Title TBA)

Performance: Wednesday, May 12, 2027, 7:30 p.m.
Williams Theatre at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center
The full TYO ensemble will participate. Details coming May 11!

Eligible students for TYO are entering grades three through twelve in the 2025-2026 school year. There are no geographic or demographic restrictions, and we are open to public, private, and home-schooled students.

High school seniors will be permitted to join TYO for the first semester only, and these seniors must have been in TYO for at least one year prior.

ALL students MUST be able to attend in-person rehearsals every Tuesday during the school year from 4:15pm to 6:00pm, with additional rehearsals and performances scheduled during the year, including the Holiday Performance in December 2025 and Noah’s Flood in June 2026.

We accept all levels of students, from beginners to those with years of experience. We do not require previous vocal training!

The short answer: as many as we feel will benefit from the program.

The long answer: Tulsa Youth Opera has varied in size from as few as 15 students to as many as 75. We generally have 80-120 students audition for the program, though this varies as well.

We do not have a set number of students we take each year. Many variables enter into the equation, including season repertoire needs, how many qualified students we hear, etc.

Parents of interested students should register for an audition on our website. There is no fee to audition or to participate in the program.

You will be asked to arrive for your audition 10 minutes early. When you arrive, you will complete an audition form. All students under 18 must have a parent present to complete the audition form.

When you are called into the audition room, the first thing you will do is sing your three-minute prepared song. A pianist will be provided, but please make sure you bring music for the pianist! Recorded music and a cappella performances are not permitted at Tulsa Youth Opera auditions. For more information on what to sing, check out “What should I sing for my audition?” below.

After you sing your song, you may be asked to sing some scales or vocal exercises so we can get a better idea of your vocal ability. Don’t worry — we’ll walk you through these, and they should be stress-free!

Parents, we don’t allow you in the audition room. Although it can seem helpful, we’ve found that the presence of parents tends to make students even more nervous than they already are!

The full audition takes no more than 5-6 minutes, and as soon as you have completed your audition form and the audition itself, you’re free to go. Students will be notified of their acceptance status by email shortly after the audition date.

All students auditioning for Tulsa Youth Opera must bring one prepared solo in a classical style for their audition. The piece should be 3 minutes or less if possible.

If your junior high or high school student has competed in district or state solo contests, the piece he/she performed at contest would be an excellent choice.

Other great choices include traditional folk songs, classical-style Broadway songs (e.g. My Fair Lady or The Music Man), hymns, and patriotic songs.

Students should NOT bring: country, pop, or rock songs, or contemporary Broadway belt music.

You can still audition if you don’t have any of the above! Prepare a simple piece that shows off your vocal ability. “America (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee)”, “Happy Birthday”, and “Scarborough Fair” are excellent choices!

If you need help finding printed music or scheduling your audition, or have questions, please contact [email protected].