Festival Info & Tickets
JUNE 2024 | RAY CHARLES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
• World Premieres
• Competition & Showcase
• $10,000 Prize
Now in its fourth season, the 96-Hour Opera Festival celebrates emerging creative talents from under-recognized communities and offers a path into the art of opera.
In June 2025, after two years in development, we proudly present Steele Roots, the second world premiere chamber opera emerging from this program. Steele Roots was the 2023 competition winner by composer Dave Ragland and librettist Selda Sahin.
Selected through a rigorous application and review process for participation in the 2025 program, the creative teams of composers and librettists will be mentored through the creative process to write ten-minute operas. Bringing their completed works to Atlanta, the creative teams rehearse their productions for 96 hours with guidance from specialists in the field.
Open to the public, the 96-Hour Opera Project Showcase presents five world-premiere mini-operas to an audience and a judging panel in an exciting race for the Antinori Foundation Grand prize & Atlanta Opera commission. The Atlanta Opera welcomes an exceptional group of judges to review and determine the winners of a $10,000 award as part of a $25,000 commission.
DATES & DEADLINES
Mon, Dec 4, 2024
Applications now online
More info: [email protected]
Tue Feb 11, 2025
Application deadline
Mid-March 2025
Participants announcement
Tickets on sale
Tue, Jun 17-25, 2025
96-Hour Opera Festival
Fri, Jun 20, 2025
2023 Winning Competition Production:
Steele Roots
by Dave Ragland & Selda Sabin
Sat, Jun 21, 2025
Competition Showcase
– open to the public
Tickets
Application
Apply online through YAP Tracker.
For questions concerning applications or participation in the 96-Hour Opera Festival, please email [email protected].
Sponsors
The Antinori Foundation
Grand Prize
The Rich Foundation
About the Competition
“The 96-Hour Opera Project expands the canvas on what is possible in opera. By representing voices that were traditionally unrepresented in the opera canon, we can rejoice in the power of story.”
Andrea Davis Pinkney
judge, 96-Hour Opera Project
“The opportunity to create, workshop and explore solutions right on the spot was an invaluable element of this program. That paired with all the fantastic networking made it an excellent program.”
participant, 96-Hour Opera Project
“The 96-Hour Opera Project is an ambitious, unique initiative that is striving to connect directly with the greater Atlanta community. Atlanta Opera is breaking new ground with this competition and other companies would do well to follow suit.”
participant, 96-Hour Opera Project
Artistic Advisor
Morris Robinson
Internationally renowned bass, GRAMMY Award winning vocalist and Atlanta native Morris Robinson will serve as the artistic advisor again for this year’s competition, working with creative teams throughout the competition as well as serving as one of the judges.
“The level of talent here is stunning. I cannot wait to hear and see what they prepare over the coming months.”
Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director
Tomer Zvulun
“The rich history of Atlanta rests not only in the lives of the most famous, but in the courage and strength of even the most unacclaimed people,” said Tomer Zvulun. “Our goal is to lift up the inspirational stories that reflect the multicultural history of Atlanta and to amplify the voices of a diverse group of talented emerging creators.”
FAQ
Now in its fourth season, the event launched as the 96-Hour Opera Project has expanded to include developmental workshops and incubator performances of works by competition winners from previous seasons, in addition to the annual competition.
The competition, in which teams of composers and librettists have four days to workshop and stage completely new and compelling 10-minute operas, is the heart of the festival. Each team presents their work in a showcase before an audience and the panel of judges.
Winners from previous year’s competition will have the opportunity to present their developed works in an incubator setting and, the following year, as a more developed workshopped opera.
In 2025, the 96-Hour Opera Festival will commence on Tuesday, June 17 and conclude with the competition showcase. The working locations and performance venue will be hosted in partnership with Morehouse College, School of Music. The competition finals will be open to the public and will be held at the Ray Charles Center for the Performing Arts located at 900 West End Ave, SW in Atlanta, on Saturday, June 21, 2025.
The 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.
Designed specifically for composers and librettists who have been historically underrecognized in the opera field, the competition is open to composers and librettists who self-identify as part of a demographic that has been underrecognized in opera composition.
We are only able to accept permanent residents and citizens of the United States for this project.
There is no age range or limit for applying, but composers and librettists who are in the early stages of their careers are encouraged to participate.
Application is limited to artists who are determined to have significant skills as a composer and/or playwright/librettist through academic study and limited professional experiences; who demonstrate a unique perspective that could benefit from mentorship.
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.
We will provide an option to pair artists, based on their experience and interests.
All participating teams will travel to Atlanta after preparing their works in advance of the program. Travel (airfare or mileage reimbursement), housing, singers, pianists and space will be provided to each composer/librettist team to showcase their new mini-operas.
Submissions will be evaluated based on artistic excellence or the potential for artistic excellence, artistic ability, knowledge of both vocal and orchestral writing (composers), and character development (librettists).
Judges will be announced soon.
• DAY 1: Tue, Jun 17, 2025 – Introductions and music rehearsal
• DAY 2: Wed, Jun 18, 2025 – Rehearsal and staging
Thu, June 19, 2025: Juneteenth, Day off for all
• DAY 3: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 – Coaching, mentorship with judges, and final prep
• DAY 4: Sat, Jun 21, 2025 – Dress rehearsal, Showcase performance and judging
(Travel days will occur before Day 1 and after Day 4, on 6/13June 16 and June 226/18 so composers and librettists should be available June 166/13 to June 226/18 to participate.)
We invite the community to enjoy the performances/competition on Saturday, June 21. The Atlanta Opera Film Studio will capture aspects of the preparation and the competition showcase. Specific use of the video and audio recordings will be determined by the needs of The Atlanta Opera.
Media Inquiries
Please contact
Michelle Winters, Director of PR and Communications
404.673.7075
[email protected]
