Nōu te atamira | The stage is yours
Step onto the stage.
NYOA offers three dynamic programmes — Young Artist, Chorus, and Orchestra — designed to challenge, inspire, and launch the next generation of opera talent. Whether you’re a singer stepping into your first professional rehearsal, a young artist preparing for a career on the world stage, or an orchestral musician bringing the music to life, you’ll receive world-class training, be coached by leading professionals, and be part of extraordinary productions across the year.
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Emerging opera singers aged 18–25
Annual Programme with three intensive blocks
January 19 - 31, 2026 (Hawke’s Bay)
Opera-in-concert with Chorus Programme & orchestra, ensemble training, and Recitative performance
April 11 - 18, 2026 (Waikato)
Role preparation, language coaching, and ensemble development
August 24 - Sept 6, 2026 (Hawke’s Bay)
Fully staged opera (Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro) with orchestra and creative team
Training Includes:
Vocal coaching
Language and interpretation
Stagecraft and movement
Professional development and industry preparation
Performance Opportunities: Public Concerts, Fully Staged Opera, Educational Outreach and collaborations with NYOA Chorus & Orchestra
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Singers aged 16–25
January Intensive (19th - 31st, Hawke’s Bay)
Choral and ensemble singing within a professional opera rehearsal environment
Training Includes:
Individual coaching & masterclasses
Ensemble technique and blend
Language and diction
Stage movement and presence
Collaboration with Young Artist Programme singers and tutors
Performance Opportunity: Opera-in-concert alongside YAP artists with full orchestra
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Orchestral Instrumentalists aged 18 –25
Annual Programme with two intensive blocks
Selected through video audition, players come together for intensive rehearsals with the conductor and cast, gaining high-level ensemble experience before performing to public audiences in both seasons.
January 27 - 31, 2026 (Hawke’s Bay)
Opera-in-concert with Chorus & YAP Programme, ensemble and educational outreach training
September 2 - 6, 2026 (Hawke’s Bay)
Fully staged opera (Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro) with full cast and creative team
Training Includes:
Ensemble coaching for opera
Professional development and industry preparation
Performance Opportunities: Public Concerts, Fully Staged Opera, Educational Outreach and other collaborations with NYOA Chorus & YAP
Nōu te atamira | The stage is yours |
Nōu te atamira | The stage is yours |
Le Nozze di Figaro in Concert
September 5th & 6th
Toitoi – Opera House
Mozart's most loved comedy The Marriage of Figaro comes to Hawke's Bay in a vibrant new production from National Youth Opera Aotearoa (NYOA).
Bursting with laughs, romance, intrigue, and some of the most beautiful music ever written, The Marriage of Figaro follows Figaro and Susanna as they navigate a whirlwind day of mistaken identities, secret plans, jealous lovers, and comic surprises. More than 230 years after its premiere, Mozart's masterpiece is still one of the world's most entertaining and frequently performed operas.
Whether you are a lifelong opera lover or stepping into an opera for the very first time, The Marriage of Figaro is the perfect place to begin. Funny, clever, romantic, and full of twists and surprises, it explores themes that remain as relevant today as they were in Mozart's time. Love, friendship, independence, ambition, and the challenges of navigating relationships. Performed by some of Aotearoa's most exciting young singers, this production offers a fresh and accessible way to experience one of the world's greatest operas. Meet the cast and faculty.
MEET THE 2026 COHORT
MEET THE 2026 COHORT
2026 National Youth Opera Aotearoa
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JAN 19-31 2026 | Hawke’s Bay
NYOA launches the year in Hawke’s Bay with an intensive Opera-in-concert project bringing together Young Artist Programme singers and the Chorus. Over two weeks, participants work with leading tutors in daily rehearsals, coaching, and stagecraft, culminating in 2 public performances that set the tone for the season.
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APR 11-18 2026 | Waikato
The Young Artist Programme gathers for a focused week of coaching, role preparation, community engagement, industry workshops and rehearsal. This intensive builds on the foundations of January’s, refining interpretation, performance skills and deepening industry knowledge in a close-knit, creative environment.
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AUG 24-SEP 6 | Hawke’s Bay
Back in Hawke’s Bay, the Young Artist Programme stages a full production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. Over two weeks, artists work with the full creative team through staging, rehearsals, and orchestra calls, culminating in a fully staged public season.