“Music literally pours out of Viterbo’s main Piazza every evening! Cafes and Gelaterias line the streets… A truly amazing experience".
.....2009 American concert opera program singer…..

The Tuscia Opera festival in Viterbo, Italy hosts the International Lyric Academy. The academy offers young emerging vocal artists the opportunity to study and perform with internationally acclaimed teachers, coaches, directors and singers from theaters such as La Scala, Arena di Verona and the Metropolitan opera. Faculty from leading conservatories and Universities offer master classes and lessons. Full scale operatic productions and concerts are held in beautiful Piazza San Lorenzo an outdoor stage among the ruins of Viterbo which is situated approximately 1 ½ hours north of Rome. The Tuscia Festival will also travel to Dana Point California in August 2010 in a sister city opera festival.

The academy holds auditions in the fall in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Denver and Montreal. Programs vary according to vocal level and experience. Advanced singers are cast in the Full opera program, Main stage productions, soloists program, and concert opera program. Younger singers are engaged in the ensemble program (ensemble of the main stage opera), and the specialized high school program. There is also a technical intern program for college students interested in the back stage, costuming, box office and publicity aspects of the festival. The instrumentalists program brings American instrumentalists as part of the Tuscia Festival orchestra and chamber orchestra with an international array of musicians.

All vocalists programs offer weekly voice lessons, master classes with faculty from many of the leading music colleges in the US, Italian diction/language, repertoire coaching (concert opera program), Art song class (for high school and college level singers) and rehearsals for the main stage production. The midnight concert series hosts singers in an evening of arias and songs at “Caffeina” in Piazza San Carluccio. Concerts are also held in outside surrounding provinces of Viterbo.

Tuition includes the program details mentioned above, housing and access to the festival performances. Airfare is not included. Teachers bringing 6 or more students can chaperone at no charge required - airfare only. Students under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or adult chaperone.

Audition information and tuition information will be available here in October 2009.

Featured Faculty 2009/2010:

Acclaimed film director, Lina Wertmuller, 2007 Tuscia production “Le Nozze di Figaro”

Cynthia Munzer, Director of opera, University of Southern California, metropolitan opera mezzo soprano

Kenneth Cox, Director of opera Denver University, Internationally renowned Bass.

Gary Glaze, University of Southern California

Andrea DelGiudice, Internationally renowned soprano, DelGiudice Vocal Arts Academy, Dean College, Private studios in Boston / New York City

Penelope Bitzas, Boston University

Kate Emerich, Denver University

Shigemi Matsumoto, University of Southern California

Filippo Belloni, coach, accompanist, Nepi Italy

Giovanni Longo, coach accompanist, McGill University

Tim Leon, Tuscia chorus master, concert opera program, Private studios, Los Angeles

Paolo Mangianello, actor, narrator, Italian diction coach

Chiara Palumbo, actor, narrator, Italian Diction coach