Opera ATX Residency for Latinx Creatives
The Opera ATX Residency for Latinx Creatives will provide a unique workshopping space to advance projects that will expand the scope of operatic storytelling. Over the course of a season (September – May), a Latinx composer and collaborator will have the opportunity to work with the Austin Opera artistic staff on the development of an operatic project, including monthly meetings via zoom and an intensive 7-10 day period in Austin TX to work in-person with up to 10 artists selected from the Austin Opera Orchestra, Austin Opera Teaching Artists, and Austin Opera Chorus. Each residency will be tailored to fit the needs of the creative team and their project, which may be a completely new work or a work already in progress.
The ultimate goal of The Opera ATX Residency for Latinx Creatives is to broaden the storytelling of the operatic canon to better include the experiences and perspectives of the Latinx community, which for the purposes of this program includes individuals with heritage from Latin America, South America, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean. For the inaugural season of the residency (September 2023 – May 2024) Austin Opera is seeking applications from composers who identify as Latinx and one additional collaborator who also identifies as Latinx. The second collaborator may be a librettist/writer, filmmaker, or other creative partner. Both creatives should have a demonstrated interest in opera as a storytelling medium.
Both members of the creative team will receive a $5,000 honorarium* and travel/housing expenses for the Austin residency. Artists who participate in the workshop process will be selected and compensated by Austin Opera. The Austin Opera Digital Media Studio may be available to document and share the workshop experience if desired.
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to email us at [email protected].
*To receive the honorarium applicants must be eligible to work in the United States
Timeline for the 2023-2024 Season Residency
- March 15, 2023: Applications released
- June 1, 2023: Application deadline
- August 15, 2023: 2023-2024 Creative Team announced
- September 2023 – May 2024: residency period, including an onsite workshop
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need a composition degree to apply for this residency?
A: While completing a degree in composition is not a requirement, having equivalent experience and/or training will be necessary to maximize the resources of the program
Q: What qualifies as an operatic project?
A: While we don’t want to put a lot of parameters on the types of projects we will consider, we feel strongly that it must exemplify powerful story-telling that features the operatic voice.
Q: Does the project have to be in Spanish?
A: No. This is a program intended to for creatives that identify as Latinx and all languages are welcome. Please provide some context in your narrative as to why your project is in a particular language.
Q: Do both members of the creative team have to identify as Latinx?
A: Yes. While requirements for The Opera ATX Residency for Latinx Creatives may change over time, the 2023-2024 residency will require that both the composer and collaborator identify as Latinx.
Q: I’m a composer. Do I need a collaborator?
A: Yes. Part of the value of this particular residency will be the experience to work amongst champions and collaborators to advance a project, and we ask that you establish a key partner in the development of this project at the outset.
