Designed to help young opera singers hone their craft and start off their career at the highest level, the Lyon Opera Studio is under the artistic responsibility of Jochen Breiholz, our Director of Opera. This year, over 1,100 singers from 78 countries applied to join the class of 2026, highlighting the Studio’s ever-growing success and importance for younger generations.
In 2022, after a thorough recruitment process, five exceptional artists were selected to join the Studio: German-Italian soprano Giulia Scopelliti, South African mezzo-soprano Thandiswa Mpongwana, British tenor Robert Lewis, Polish barytone Paweł Trojak and Thai bass Pete Thanapat.
In 2024, the Lyon Opera is happy to welcome the new Studio artists: Norwegian soprano Eva Langeland Gjerde, American mezzo-soprano Jenny Anne Flory, Estonian tenor Filipp Varik, Dutch barytone Alexander de Jong and French bass Hugo Santos.
Their shared language is made up of opera, music and singing. Teachers, tutors, well-seasoned singers, and directors train the five interpreters and help them prepare for the productions, Amphi recitals, and several shows they perform in as soon as they get into the Studio. In 2022-23, they were seen and heard in Tannhäuser, Hérodiade, Candide, Káťa Kabanová and Le nozze di Figaro; and in 2023-2024, in The Woman without a Shadow, Elias, The Girl of the Golden West, The Queen of Spades, Béatrice et Bénédict and The Makropulos Affair. This two-year-long training, learning, and honing process serves music and theatre, and provides tomorrow’s great voices.
Year One of the Lyon Opera Studio was incredibly successful; our five soloists were acclaimed by the audience and noticed by international critics. Year Two allowed the audience to see more of these artists’ talented journey and, for the Studio class, to discover new aspects of their art in a variety of pieces. For Year 3, similarly to the two previous seasons, the Lyon Opera Studio soloists will keep on benefitting from training by Kirsten Schötteldreier, one of the most sought-after vocal coaches in Europe, recognized for her original approach to singing and her unique way to tackle interpretation. Aside from her partnership with the Lyon Opera, she regularly works with major artists and opera houses in Berlin, London, Paris, Beirut, Vienna, or Milan.
For the 2024-2025 season, students of the new Studio class will perform in Wozzeck, Il Turco in Italia, Madama Butterfly, La forza del destino, 7 Minutes, Peter Grimes, and the concert version of Andrea Chénier. Several artists from this year’s class will also perform on our main stage and in partner venues: Robert Lewis in Wozzeck and Così fan tutte, Giulia Scopelliti in 7 Minutes and Peter Grimes, and Thandiswa Mpongwana in Andrea Chénier. This is the Lyon Opera’s way to offer long-term support to the artists trained in-house, and to let the audience discover their flourishing accomplishments.

Designed to help young opera singers hone their craft and start off their career at the highest level, the Lyon Opera Studio is under the artistic responsibility of Jochen Breiholz, our Director of Opera. This year, over 1,100 singers from 78 countries applied to join the class of 2026, highlighting the Studio’s ever-growing success and importance for younger generations.
In 2022, after a thorough recruitment process, five exceptional artists were selected to join the Studio: German-Italian soprano Giulia Scopelliti, South African mezzo-soprano Thandiswa Mpongwana, British tenor Robert Lewis, Polish barytone Paweł Trojak and Thai bass Pete Thanapat.
In 2024, the Lyon Opera is happy to welcome the new Studio artists: Norwegian soprano Eva Langeland Gjerde, American mezzo-soprano Jenny Anne Flory, Estonian tenor Filipp Varik, Dutch barytone Alexander de Jong and French bass Hugo Santos.
Their shared language is made up of opera, music and singing. Teachers, tutors, well-seasoned singers, and directors train the five interpreters and help them prepare for the productions, Amphi recitals, and several shows they perform in as soon as they get into the Studio. In 2022-23, they were seen and heard in Tannhäuser, Hérodiade, Candide, Káťa Kabanová and Le nozze di Figaro; and in 2023-2024, in The Woman without a Shadow, Elias, The Girl of the Golden West, The Queen of Spades, Béatrice et Bénédict and The Makropulos Affair. This two-year-long training, learning, and honing process serves music and theatre, and provides tomorrow’s great voices.
Year One of the Lyon Opera Studio was incredibly successful; our five soloists were acclaimed by the audience and noticed by international critics. Year Two allowed the audience to see more of these artists’ talented journey and, for the Studio class, to discover new aspects of their art in a variety of pieces. For Year 3, similarly to the two previous seasons, the Lyon Opera Studio soloists will keep on benefitting from training by Kirsten Schötteldreier, one of the most sought-after vocal coaches in Europe, recognized for her original approach to singing and her unique way to tackle interpretation. Aside from her partnership with the Lyon Opera, she regularly works with major artists and opera houses in Berlin, London, Paris, Beirut, Vienna, or Milan.
For the 2024-2025 season, students of the new Studio class will perform in Wozzeck, Il Turco in Italia, Madama Butterfly, La forza del destino, 7 Minutes, Peter Grimes, and the concert version of Andrea Chénier. Several artists from this year’s class will also perform on our main stage and in partner venues: Robert Lewis in Wozzeck and Così fan tutte, Giulia Scopelliti in 7 Minutes and Peter Grimes, and Thandiswa Mpongwana in Andrea Chénier. This is the Lyon Opera’s way to offer long-term support to the artists trained in-house, and to let the audience discover their flourishing accomplishments.