The 2018 Jette Parker Young Artists are:

Chilean soprano, Yaritza Véliz
Chinese mezzo-soprano, Hongni Wu
American countertenor, Patrick Terry
Argentinean baritone, Germán E Alcántara
Scottish-Iranian bass-baritone, Michael Mofidian

The audition process for the selection of the Jette Parker Young Artists began in August 2017, with applications processed through the YAP Tracker website. Seventy-one artists were selected and 65 sang in the first of three rounds, with 27 progressing to the second round, which involved a one-to-one coaching session with David Gowland, Artistic Director of the Programme, plus a panel audition with Oliver Mears, Director of Opera, Peter Katona, Director of Casting and Richard Hetherington, Head of Music for The Royal Opera, as well as Australian soprano Yvonne Kenny, Elaine Kidd, Head of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, and David Gowland. A final shortlist of 12 singers auditioned on the main stage in front of a panel comprising Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera, Oliver Mears, Peter Katona, Richard Hetherington, Yvonne Kenny, Elaine Kidd, David Gowland and Siri Fischer Hansen, Administrator of the Programme.

The five new Young Artists will join the six who continue on the Programme into their second year next Season: sopranos Haegee Lee and Jacquelyn Stucker, mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina, tenor Konu Kim, baritone Dominic Sedgwick and stage director Noa Naamat. Auditions for music staff positions for the 2018 intake will be held at the end of March/early April, as Nick Fletcher, James Hendry and Matthew Scott Rogers complete the Programme in July.

The Jette Parker Young Artists Programme supports the artistic development of young professional singers, conductors, directors and répétiteurs. The Young Artists are an international group of outstanding professionals at the start of their careers who have undertaken formal training and have already worked with professional companies. They are not students, but contracted, salaried employees of the Royal Opera House, who work here full-time over two years.

There is no age limit for those on the Programme, but when choosing the Young Artists the audition panel takes into consideration the stage individuals have reached in their careers and where they will be in terms of career development and age after working for two years on the Programme.

The Young Artists work on productions for The Royal Opera, singing small roles and covering larger roles, or joining the music or directing staff. They also receive coaching in all opera disciplines. They work with Royal Opera music staff, a wide range of freelance music and language coaches and visiting singers, directors and conductors. Every facility of the Company is made available to them so that their talents are nurtured through total immersion in the life of The Royal Opera and the Royal Opera House.

The Jette Parker Young Artists Programme is made possible thanks to the exceptional generosity of Oak Foundation who have supported the Programme since 2005. It was recently announced that Oak Foundation have extended their commitment, ensuring the future of the Programme for another ten years.

For further information, visit www.roh.org.uk/about/jette-parker-young-artists-programme