A program of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival
June 13—July 4, 2027
OperaFest is an artist incubator program that brings together emerging artists and leading experts in opera from around the world. Situated atop the Cumberland Plateau, our festival provides a beautiful environment for artists to escape, create, and grow, while only being a short drive from major cities.
Directed by Laura Brooks Rice, OperaFest offers private coaching, masterclasses, various performance opportunities, and workshops exploring professional learning. Our program focuses on our three artistic pillars: creation, collaboration, and mentorship. Each session provides training on operatic style, diction and language, dramatic presentation, performance technique, and professional skills training portfolio artists. All participants will have the opportunity to perform in public concerts, including aria and opera excerpt evenings with piano and instrumental students.
Our encouraging, creative environment aims to give each participant the support and tools they need to continue developing and thrive. OperaFest participants will have a range of performance and coaching opportunities, including public master classes, aria showcases, a scenes program, and collaborative performances with SSMF student composers.
SSMF Vocal Chamber Music Competition
Participants will have the opportunity to compete to perform with SSMF Faculty on a Faculty Chamber Series concert. Competition repertoire will be announced by March 1, following selection of participants; repertoire will be chosen based on the voice types accepted to the program. All OperaFest students enrolled in the 2027 program will be eligible to participate.
Performance & Masterclass Opportunities
OperaFest students will have the opportunity to perform weekly in aria concerts and attend masterclasses by both vocal and instrumental faculty.
In addition, participants will perform is a scenes program with chamber orchestra.
Program Director
Laura Brooks Rice
For more information about the OperaFest faculty, please visit our faculty page.
Who is the program for?
The program is most suitable for late high school through college and graduate students as well as post-grad singers in the pre-professional stage of their career.
Application Information
Required Materials
Headshot, resume, completed online application, 2 video recordings
Audition Requirements
Two video recordings—contrasting arias
Application Fees & Deadlines
November 1st 2026
OperaFest Application Opens!
February 15th, 2027
OperaFest Application Deadline
Tuition & Fees
Tuition: $3,750
This includes all lessons, masterclasses, coachings, and seminars.
Room & Board: $1,800
This includes all meals, a double occupancy room, and use of campus facilities including Fowler Athletic Center and duPont Library.
Single Room Fee: $350
Single rooms are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Refunds will not be granted, for any reason, if the inquiry is communicated to our office past May 18, 2027.
Apply for OperaFest
For more information, please contact ssmfadmissions@sewanee.edu
Scholarships & External Resources
We want every talented singer to have the chance to join OperaFest, and we know that financing a summer program can be challenging. Along with SSMF scholarships, there are many external grants, awards, and competitions available specifically for singers.
To learn more about OperaFest scholarships, visit our Scholarships & Financial Aid page.
For additional opportunities, explore our Singer Resources List, which includes national, regional, and local programs that support young vocal artists.
Taking advantage of these resources can help make your summer at OperaFest possible — and open doors to even more opportunities along the way.
Header photo by David Andrews