Opera Fellows

We believe that investing in the training and development of the individual artist will strengthen the future of the arts in the Kinshasa community. Our Opera Fellows benefit from a year long program that concentrates on developing their skills, leadership and teaching abilities to enable them to share their talent with young artists in the community.

WHAT WE OFFER

Our Opera Fellows receive access to musical scores, best practises, financial support, help with their English language and a certificate of completion at the end of the program. We work closely with each individual to overcome their challenges, providing weekly communication and feedback on their progress, repertoire suggestions and advisory help with maintaining music projects in their community.

 

OUR OPERA FELLOWS

We have worked with fourteen talented Congolese artists through our Opera Fellows program. In 2023, we added a Chamber Opera Training program to include Charmi Mbongani, Jordy Vuvu, Beni Lunzitisa, and Jonathan Mabiala, violinists,; Urbain Vangu, violist; Glody Mata, cellist; Armand Lutuzolele, horn player.

OPERA ARTIST RESIDENCY

Our Opera Fellows program includes an intercultural exchange that provides an artist the opportunity to visit the U.S. for a 8-week opera training program, including voice lessons, piano lessons, repertoire coaching and diction coaching on opera arias, and public concert with a live audience. This experience is invaluable for our artists to pursue a career in opera and learn the intricacies of the industry first hand.

 

OUR TEAM

We have a dedicated team that works to make our Opera Fellows program possible each year. Our teaching artists include: Joy Bechtler, vocal arts; Katherine McClure, chamber opera ensemble coach; Kathy Shanklin, opera accompanist; Akiko Hosaki, opera coach; Cecelia Reilly, piano skills; and Craig Levesque, composer/arranger.

OUR IMPACT

Since 2015, our Opera Fellows concerts have reached over 2,000 people in the Kinshasa community. We have provided our Opera Fellows the stage to perform live in front of an audience. We have hosted concerts for emerging opera singers and workshops for the O.S.K. Juniors’ choir and orchestra, supported community events at a local hospital and orphanages in Kinshasa, organised a MLK Day CoJazz concert and broadcast a live virtual concert via Facebook during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Support our mission

Operanauts relies on the kindness and generosity of donations to make our work in Kinshasa possible. Your contribution will directly benefit Congolese musicians and young people that we work with in Kinshasa and will help to rebuild a community that has witnessed years of conflict and trauma through the healing powers of music. 

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