Step 1 of 7 14% DEADLINE: DATE HERE The 96-Hour Opera Project, a composition showcase competition in which teams of composers and librettists have four days to rehearse and premiere new and compelling 10-minute operas. Participating teams will travel to Atlanta having previously completed and submit new works based on provided story prompts. Creative teams will spend four days collaborating with singers and pianists, rehearsing and fine tuning these works in advance of the final public showcase on June 13 on the stage at the historic Morehouse College. Travel, housing, singers, pianists, and rehearsal space will be provided to each composer/librettist team. The winning team will split a $10,000 prize, which will serve as the first installment on a commission to write a chamber opera for a future season at The Atlanta Opera. All other participating artists are each guaranteed a $1,000 honorarium. Designed specifically for composers and librettists from historically underrecognized communities, the 96-Hour Opera Project is open to those who self-identify as part of a demographic that has been under-presented in the creative pantheon of opera. Application is limited to emerging artists who are determined to have significant skills as a composer and/or playwright/librettist through academic study and limited professional experiences; who demonstrates a unique perspective that could benefit from mentorship. Artist's work in other genres may have been performed professionally as our definition of emerging applies specifically to an artist's development and career stage as a creator of opera. Successful applicants will express interest and enthusiasm for opera as a form for storytelling and their work, however artists with no previous opera experience are encouraged to apply. They will demonstrate excellence as evidenced by submitted samples of previous composition/writing and a developed voice in their chosen art form and will commit to following a provided story prompt to develop a 10-minute work for a maximum of two voices. There are no age minimums or maximums for participation. Please contact at [email protected] with any questions regarding this application. When you submit this form, it will not automatically collect your details like name and email address unless you provide it in the form below.Applicant InformationName First Last Email Address Enter Email Confirm Email Address Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCanadaCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzechiaCôte d'IvoireDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHoly SeeHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth MacedoniaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine, State ofPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaRéunionSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint MartinSaint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint MaartenSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwedenSwitzerlandSyria Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, the United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluTürkiyeUS Minor Outlying IslandsUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamVirgin Islands, BritishVirgin Islands, U.S.Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweÅland Islands PhoneBest Time To Call YouWhen is the best time for us to reach you via telephone?MorningsEarly AfternoonLate AfternoonEarly EveningBirthdatePlease format as mm/dd/yyyyAre you a permanent resident or citizen of the United States?(we are only able to accept permanent residents and citizens of the United States for this project). Yes No Competition InformationYou are applying to the 96-Hour Opera Project as a ... Composer Librettist Either Are you applying as part of a team? (Composer and librettist together) Yes No Who is your team partner?If you are accepted into the competition, and your partner is not, do you still wish to be considered as an individual applicant? Yes No Please attach an Artistic Statement explaining why you wish to participate in the 96-Hour Opera Project and why you self-identify as being part of an underrecognized community in opera.Max. file size: 80 MB. Please attach your resume/CV.Max. file size: 80 MB. Please attach your biography.Max. file size: 80 MB. Please attach your headshot.We request files with 300dpi resolution, or greater.Max. file size: 80 MB. Composer SamplesOnly complete this section if you are applying as a composer. Please submit three work samples (contrasting styles preferred), consisting of either an audio or video link accompanied by a PDF score link. Please include one piece that showcases vocal writing and one work sample that showcases skills in orchestral writing.How will you provide samples of work? Links to webpages or a service like YouTube File uploads of recordings or video samples Both links and files Links to Composer Work Samples (Video)If you choose to offer a combination of video and audio submissions, please do not include more than THREE files in total. Maximum number of links (combined total) permitted: 3Video File UploadsIf you choose to offer a combination of video and audio submissions, please do not include more than THREE files in total. Maximum number of files (combined total) permitted: 3 Drop files here or Select files Max. file size: 80 MB, Max. files: 3. Audio Sample LinksWhile video is strongly preferred, you may submit audio submissions if needed. Maximum number links (combined total) permitted: 3Audio File UploadsIf you choose to offer a combination of video and audio submissions, please do not include more than THREE files in total. Maximum number of files (combined total) permitted: 3 Drop files here or Select files Max. file size: 80 MB, Max. files: 3. Score Sample LinksWhile video is strongly preferred, you may submit audio submissions if needed. Maximum number links (combined total) permitted: 3Score File UploadsIf you choose to offer a combination of video and audio submissions, please do not include more than THREE files in total. Maximum number of files (combined total) permitted: 3 Drop files here or Select files Max. file size: 80 MB, Max. files: 3. Librettist SamplesOnly complete this section if you are applying as a librettist. Please submit two contrasting work samples in PDF format. Work samples do not necessarily need be opera libretti, but samples should showcase your dramatic writing skills. Please limit each submission to one scene that is 10-15 pages. Submissions will be evaluated based off of artistic excellence or the potential for artistic excellence, artistic ability, knowledge of both vocal and orchestral writing (composers), and character development (librettists).Librettist Sample File UploadsPlease submit links to two contrasting work samples (one scene each 10-15 pages only). Maximum number of documents permitted: 5 Drop files here or Select files Max. file size: 80 MB, Max. files: 5. ReferencesPlease list two professional references.First Reference InformationPlease provide: Name, email, phone, and relationship to applicantSecond Reference InformationPlease provide: Name, email, phone, and relationship to applicant Stories that ResonateThe Atlanta Opera will provide a compelling story theme or themes for the participating librettists and composers. The story prompts will be given to the creative teams in advance of the competition with time to engage in exploration and research on the subject.Stories that ResonatePlease select the themes below to which you identify and/or appeal to you as a storyteller. Your selections may be used to help assemble creative teams as needed. Immigration Loss Citizenship The Civil Rights Movement World Wars and Race Inter-Generational Understanding Stories of Black Americans Stories of Asian Americans Stories of Latine Americans Stories of Indigenous Peoples LGBTQIA+ Gender and Race Protest Stories Multi-racial Identity Atlanta History Additional ThemesPlease list any additional themes to which you identify and/or appeal to you as a storyteller. Demographic SurveyThe Atlanta Opera requires all applicants to complete a Demographic Survey. Survey information is collected for the purpose of assessing the diversity of our applicants and improving our application process. List your racial/ancestral identityAffiliation based on biological lineage or parentage without regard to cultural/ethnic affiliation.This is not where you were born, but the various geographical regions that your biological ancestors inhabited. You may have ancestors from multiple world regions. List your ethnic/cultural identityList your gender identityWhat are your pronouns?Additional identity informationIs there anything else about your identity that you'd like to share with us? Media Agreement(Required)The 96-Hour Opera Project will incorporate creative works from multiple individuals and institutions and will be recorded as a broadcast/streaming production to be available on Georgia Public Broadcasting and The Atlanta Opera Film Studio streaming service. For these reasons, contestants will be required to sign agreements regarding the use of their likeness and creative contributions as a condition of participation. I agree that by submitting this application, I am available for the 96-Hour Opera Project Competition taking place in Atlanta from June 10-13, 2026 and will enter into an agreement allowing my likeness and creative contributions to be recorded for broadcast/streaming purposes. I agree to the listed terms.