Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Artists Program

International announcement of selection for Répétiteurs / Opera coaches

The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Academy/Florence opera house announces open the enrolment to the selection of Répétiteurs/Opera coaches for admission to the Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Artists Program, a two-year artist residency for advanced training and professional development for répétiteurs/opera coaches and opera singers.

Purpose

The course is designed to train and form the opera pianist in their various specializations (repetiteur/opera coaches, piano accompanist, conducting assistant, stage musical assistant, prompter, stage management assistant, lighting musical assistant), as well as to support the beginning and consolidation of their career.

Young pianists will be given the opportunity to follow a highly qualified course of specialization, directed to:

• improvement in technique, style and interpretation; 
• piano accompaniment, musical preparation of the opera singer, theatrical lighting and stage management;
• expansion of cultural knowledge necessary to practice the profession. 

Regarding professional artistic activity, the young artists may be called to participate in operas and concerts of the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Florence opera house, the Academy and/or other partner musical Institutions.

Requirements for admission

Admission is reserved for graduated pianists with significant musical abilities, a predisposition to the profession and a solid theoretical and technical base.

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

• to be at least 18 years old;
• not to be 29 years old on the deadline for submitting applications;
• to be in possession of one of the following Graduations of I level (Bachelor), or higher level (example: Master), issued by Music Conservatories, Universities or equal music schools: Répétiteur/Opera coach, Piano accompanist, Piano, Harpsichord, Conducting, Composition, or equivalent degrees released by non-Italian musical Institutions.

Further Graduations may be accepted at the sole discretion of the Management.

The selections are open to both Italian and foreign citizens, including citizens coming from countries outside the European Union.

Duration

The artist residency lasts two years. 

For the season 2026/2027, activities are due to begin on 2 November 2026, unless otherwise communicated by the Management subsequently the publication of this Announcement.

Classroom and laboratory activities are concentrated in the period between November 2026 and June 2027, while the work experience activities may be extended up to October 2027.

For the second year, the start is scheduled for November 2027 and the end in October 2028.

Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Artists Program Structure

The curriculum is divided into the following modules: Study of the score; Technical, musical, stylistic and interpretive development; Techniques of the recitativo and Improvisation; Accompaniment practice; The score for the stage and lighting; cultural knowledge of the field; workshop; work experience. 

Based on each particular activity and on the intrinsic characteristics of the same, the instruction may be in individual, group or collective lessons.

The Management may integrate the curriculum with other subjects deemed necessary for the artistic advancement of the participant.

The faculty consists of renowned artists and affirmed professionals. In addition, participants are given the opportunity to join in meetings with conductors, directors and singers, guests of the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Florence Opera House, and to assist in all stages of production of the operas and concerts on the playbill.

The Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Florence Opera House, the Academy and the partner musical Institutions may offer the participants work experiences in their artistic productions.

Admission to the Program is subject to the signing of the Internal Regulation of the Academy.

Location

The activities will take place primarily at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Florence Opera House, Piazzale Vittorio Gui, 1 - 50144 Firenze (Italy). Additional locations will be identified during the course.

Application to participate in the selections 

The application for admission to the selection must be submitted exclusively online (click on the button “Sign up!”). 

The application must be accompanied by the following documentation:

• A digital photograph half-body, format .png or .jpg
• A digital photograph full-length, format .png or .jpg
• Copy of a valid identity document (identity card or passport), format .jpg, .png or .pdf
• A curriculum vitae, format .jpg, .png or .pdf 

The size of each file attached to the application must not exceed 2 Mb. 

The application for admission to the selection is accepted subject to positive checking of all statements, attached documentation and proof of successful payment. If the verification has failed, the application is rejected.

The above verification can be done by Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Academy even after admission to the selections or to the Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Artists Program. If any falsehoods are found, the candidate will be immediately excluded.

The documentation attached to the application for participation in the selection must be mandatorily presented in Italian or English language.

Application deadlines

The applications for admission must be submitted by Sunday 26 April 2026, 11:59 pm Italian time.

Selection dates and Exams

The selection exams will be held at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Florence opera house, Piazzale Vittorio Gui, 1 - Firenze (Italy), approximately from 13 to 16 May 2026.

Date and time of summons for the Preliminary round will be communicated to each individual candidate by 30 April 2026; the communication will be sent exclusively via email at the email address provided by the candidate in the application form. No other notification system will be considered.

Inadmissible applications that do not meet the requirements of this Announcement will be communicated to the concerned candidates by the date and in the way described in the first paragraph of this article.

If necessary, the Academy reserves the right to modify the audition dates indicated in this announcement.

Exams will consist of Preliminary Round and Final Round, with the following musical program:

Preliminary round:

• piano performance of the Finale secondo – Atto II of La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, from number 29 (“Ne appellaste...”) to the end of the act, with humming the vocal parts;
• piano performance of Scena and Finale Secondo – Atto I of Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi until the end of quintetto “S’appressan gl’istanti”;
• piano performance and realization of a recitativo secco taken from Il barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini, with humming the vocal parts. The recitative, chosen by the candidate, must include at least two characters.

Final round:

• from Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti, piano performance of the following pieces, under a conductor and with humming the vocal parts:

N. 4 (duet “Pronta io son”);

From N. 13 (recitativo accompagnato “Eccoli; attenti ben”) to N. 31;

• piano performance under a conductor of Quadro terzo of La bohème by Giacomo Puccini, from N. 8 (“Mimì?! Speravo di trovarvi qui”) to N. 15, with humming the vocal parts;
• sight reading of opera excerpts of the Italian operatic repertoire;
• interview.

Admission to the Final is subject to the passing of the Preliminary round.

The Examination Committee reserves the right to listen to all or part of the planned program.

The Commission will be composed of representatives of the Artistic Directions of the Academy and the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; the Management of the Academy reserves the right to appoint external members.

 The judgment will be delivered based on the following evaluation criteria:

• Level of technical preparation;
• Musicality;
• Ability in piano accompaniment, including humming of the vocal parts and with a conductor;
• Ability in realization of the recitatives;
• Ability in sight reading.

Admission to the selection is subject to acceptance of all the rules contained in this announcement.

Fees for participation in the selections

The enrolment to the selection is subject to payment of a fee equal to euro 90,00 (Ninety/00) VAT included, to be paid by credit card or PayPal at the end of the application form.

Candidates admitted to the Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Artists Program

At the end of selection, the assessment Commission will prepare the list of eligible candidates to be admitted to the Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Artists Program with the right to the scholarship.

The candidates considered eligible but not admitted due to lack of available positions can:

• be invited to attend the training activities as listeners/observers;
• be admitted to possible special projects as active participants; 
• take the place of an active participant in the event of a waiver or exclusion of the latter;
• be admitted to the Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Artists Program without scholarship or with allowance to be defined at the moment on the basis of budget availability.

The Management reserves the right to admit additional participants to the Program once started, after verification of the eligibility of the candidates. Such discretion may be applied, without limitation, in the case of exchanges of training and/or productive experiences between academies, both on the national and international level.

Registration to the Program and attendance fee

For admitted candidates, enrolment and attendance to the Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Artists Program are free.

Scholarships

All candidates admitted to the Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Artists Program are assigned a scholarship of euro 1.000 (One Thousand/00) gross per month, with effect from November 2026 to June 2027 and from November 2027 to June 2028, subject to any changes that will be communicated within the end of the first year.

Artistic Activity

The Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Florence Opera House, the Academy and the partner musical Institutions may offer the participants work experiences in their artistic productions. The proposals will be subject to the judgment of the Artistic Direction of the Academy, which will express its evaluation according to the artistic suitability of the participant in the proposed role, the educational and artistic return, the regularity observed in the attendance of the training activities, and the effective motivation demonstrated and the approach adopted by the participant during the academic year.

At the end of the course, the organizations as above may offer to graduates additional artistic engagements for roles in productions scheduled in subsequent operatic-symphonic seasons.

Diplomas and certifications

Participants who successfully complete the Program will receive the Diploma of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Academy.

Florence, 13 October 2025                                                                           

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For more information
Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino - ETS 
Piazzale Vittorio Gui, 1 – 50144 Firenze (FI) – Italy 
Tel. +39 055 2779334 
E-mail: [email protected]       
Sito web: www.maggiofiorentino.com/accademia