RBO Youth Opera Programmes

The Royal Ballet and Opera's Youth Opera programmes provide children aged 8 to 13 with rigorous music and drama training, creative projects and the chance to perform in world leading opera productions with The Royal Opera. 

RBO Youth Opera is divided into two strands:

RBO Young Voices (Ages 8-9)

RBO Young Voices is a singing programme for 8-9 year olds, developing participants' vocal control, musical literacy and performing skills. As well as performing at concerts and other events at the Royal Opera House, participants gain a grounding in the skills required to progress into our older ensemble, the RBO Youth Opera Company.  

RBO Youth Opera Company (Ages 9-13)

RBO Youth Opera Company is our in-house chorus of 9 to 13 year olds. We offer participants all-round training in the performing arts, covering vocal technique, language coaching, acting and stage craft, musical literacy and creative processes for developing new work. The RBO YOC also has the opportunity to audition for the children’s chorus in one Royal Opera Company production per season.

Applications to join the Youth Opera Programme for the 2025/2026 season are now OPEN and will close on Friday 23 May.  

We invite young London-based singers to apply for our Youth Opera Programmes. Applicants must be aged 8 to 11 years old on 1 September 2025 and live in or around London. Applicants should be able to demonstrate: 

• A passion for and commitment to singing and good vocal control 
• An interest in drama and performing skills 
• The ability to collaborate well with others and follow direction 

We particularly welcome applications from boys, those who are from a global majority background, and those who are disabled, as they are typically under-represented within our applicants. 

How to apply

Step 2: Record your audition video (please see Audition Video Guidelines & Requirements below) 

Step 3: Complete our online application form and upload your audition video via an open accessible link e.g. Dropbox, Google drive, YouTube, Vimeo.

All application forms must be filled out by a parent or guardian on behalf of the young singer wanting to audition. Please note that our application form may take up to 30-minutes to complete 

Please submit your application by midnight on Friday 23 May. Should you experience any issues completing the application form, please contact youthopera@roh.org.uk in advance of the deadline. We are unable to accept any late applications.  

Audition Video Guidelines and Requirements

• Has personal meaning, and evokes an emotion or tells a story.
• Suits where you are in your singing journey (e.g. sits in a comfortable place within your voice, and isn't too low or high) 
• Is simple and you can sing it well

Making your audition video: 

• Only the young singer should appear in the video.
• The singer should be standing against a plain background, with no indication as to their location.
• The singer's head and shoulders should be visible.
• The singer should not be wearing any kind of identifiable clothing, such as a school uniform.
• The singer should not introduce themselves or say their name.
• The singer should not be longer than 60 seconds.

In-Person RBO Youth Opera Auditions 

• Sunday 8th June (all day): Young Voices & Youth Opera Company Auditions 
• Monday 9 June (after school): Youth Opera Company Callback Auditions 

What to expect at an audition

All auditionees will be made aware of the outcome from their audition by Monday 16 June. We regret that we are unable to offer audition feedback after due to the high volume of participants.  

The Sapling

The Sapling was a brand new opera commissioned by the Royal Opera House for the RBO Youth Opera Company, written by Jonathan Ainscough and composed by Jonathan Briggin in collaboration with the YOC.

Performed in the Linbury Theatre in July 2023, The Sapling tells its story through the words and voices of the Youth Opera Company, supported by professional singers and musicians. 

Imagine a world where all living things – humans, animals, trees alike – dwell together in perfect harmony, until a mighty storm changes everything; imagine a world in the shape of a monstrous Tower, where those at the top control the lives and voices of those beneath; imagine a world at the very end of the universe, where the artefacts of the past offer a glimpse of the future… The Sapling spans centuries and generations, crossing time and space to explore the consequences of greed, the oppression of silence and the fragile nature of hope.

The Youth Opera Company is supported by Yvonne and Bjarne Rieber