From January 18-February 8, 2026, Really Spicy Opera will offer an installment of its Aria Institute for Composers and Librettists online. This installment will be offered in an afternoon/evening format.
There is no charge for participation. This installment is open to new and returning participants.
About the Aria Institute
Each offering of the Aria Institute channels a selected group of composers and librettists through a practical training program focused on writing a specific subset of opera composition (e.g., arias, duets, and scenes). This offering will focus on writing arias for the soprano voice with a winter theme.
The Aria Institute provides opportunities for librettists (or aspiring librettists) and composers to work with professional performers in a workshop environment to explore writing opera.
- Each Sunday afternoon, accepted librettists and composers will receive instruction and other guidance in writing and refining opera arias.
- Participants rotate through different team pairings, with a new team writing assignment due the following Thursday.
- Each draft aria composition will be reviewed by and receive private feedback from our panel of directors, after which there will be an interval for revisions.
- On the following Sunday, the revised pieces will be sightread by our performers, with feedback and further guidance following, and the process repeating. At the end of the main workshop, participants will vote on which pieces will be showcased in a livestreamed online recital. Copies of the recordings for all showcase pieces will be made available to the participants.
Personnel
The Aria Institute is co-directed by:
- Tess Altiveros, a Seattle-based soprano and faculty member at Seattle University.
- Basil Considine, the artistic director of Really Spicy Opera.
- Anne Wieben, a Vienna-based soprano and Creative Director of Opera on the Lake.
Costs
None to participants.
Eligibility
There is no specific age requirement for the Aria Institute. However, participants must:
- Have prior experience writing and notating vocal music (composers) or poetry and/or drama (librettists).
- Commit to the full Aria Institute schedule (see below).
- Be willing to try something new.
- Be open to giving and receiving constructive feedback throughout the 4-week journey.
Prior experience writing opera is not required, only an interest in learning and a ready foundation. In a change from prior practice, we are now using rolling admissions.
In keeping with the mission of Really Spicy Opera, women are strongly encouraged to apply. Four slots are specifically reserved for female/female-identified participants.
Schedule and Access
All times in Central Time.
All participants must have access to a high-speed Internet connection and a desktop or laptop computer (not a smart phone or tablet) with a webcam that can run Zoom. A headset with a microphone is strongly recommended.
Composers must have also convenient access to music notation software that can produce a piano-vocal score in PDF format.
All participants are asked to pre-emptively reserve the following dates and times:
Week 1
- Sunday, 1/18
- Main Session (All): 2-5:30 PM
- Monday, 1/19-Wednesday, 1/21
- Writing Days (On Your Own; Email Feedback on Composer + Librettist Drafts-in-Progress)
- Monday @ 8 AM: Librettist draft-in-progress due
- Monday @ 5 PM: Librettist final draft due
- Tuesday @ 9 PM: Composer draft-in-progress due
- Wednesday: Revise + incorporate feedback
- Writing Days (On Your Own; Email Feedback on Composer + Librettist Drafts-in-Progress)
- Thursday, 1/22
- Writing/Revision & Live Feedback Day
- Feedback Sessions (Individual Groups): 2-3 PM, 4-7 PM*
- Friday, 1/23
- Finalized Scores w/ Front Matter Due: 11:59 PM
- Saturday, 1/24: Off
Week 2
- Sunday, 1/25
- Main Session (All): 2-5:30 PM
- Monday, 1/26-Wednesday, 1/28
- Writing Days (On Your Own; Email Feedback on Composer + Librettist Drafts-in-Progress)
- Monday @ 8 AM: Librettist draft-in-progress due
- Monday @ 5 PM: Librettist final draft due
- Tuesday @ 9 PM: Composer draft-in-progress due
- Wednesday: Revise + incorporate feedback
- Writing Days (On Your Own; Email Feedback on Composer + Librettist Drafts-in-Progress)
- Thursday, 1/29
- Writing/Revision & Live Feedback Day
- Feedback Sessions (Individual Groups): 2-3 PM, 4-7 PM*
- Friday, 1/30
- Finalized Scores w/ Front Matter Due: 11:59 PM
- Saturday, 1/31: Off
Week 3
- Sunday, 2/1
- Main Session (All): 2-5:30 PM
- Monday, 2/2-Wednesday, 2/4
- Writing Days (On Your Own; Email Feedback on Composer + Librettist Drafts-in-Progress)
- Monday @ 8 AM: Librettist draft-in-progress due
- Monday @ 5 PM: Librettist final draft due
- Tuesday @ 9 PM: Composer draft-in-progress due
- Wednesday: Revise + incorporate feedback
- Writing Days (On Your Own; Email Feedback on Composer + Librettist Drafts-in-Progress)
- Thursday, 2/5
- Writing/Revision & Live Feedback Day
- Feedback Sessions (Individual Groups): 2-3 PM, 4-7 PM*
- Friday, 2/6
- Finalized Scores w/ Front Matter Due: 11:59 PM
- Saturday, 2/7: Off
Week 4
- Sunday, 2/8
- Main Session (All): 2-5:30 PM
- Livestreamed Public Reading
- Main Session (All): 2-5:30 PM
* – Each team will be scheduled for a specific time window within this time. However, since participant’s team will change weekly, we ask that you not schedule other activities during this time.
Application Instructions
Note: The application requires a free Google email account to fill out.
Apply now! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We strongly suggest applying before 12/31.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an age limit to participate in the Aria Institute?
No.
Are there are any costs or fees associated with attending the Aria Institute?
No
Can I apply as a composer-librettist?
No. To participate in the Aria Institute, you must pick one of these roles to practice for the duration. What you do afterwards is up to you, but our particular process includes collaborating with another writer to see what interesting and exciting fusion is created.
Can I apply as an international resident?
Yes, for this installment (some are restricted to local participants by grant contracts). However, you should make sure that you are able to productively attend and participate in real-time with the time shift.
Can I be part of the conversation about new arias for soprano?
Sure! We have a survey form for that.
Why did you select soprano arias for this offering?
Women – and mostly sopranos – make up the vast majority of collegiate voice program graduates in the United States. If you want to write music that will be performed, you should most definitely be writing for sopranos.
Are there any conditions?
Yes – Really Spicy Opera asks for a non-exclusive, limited license to perform, record, and broadcast works created directly through the Aria Institute for online education purposes, showcases, and performances for which RSO derives no ticketed revenue.
As a writer-participant, you are fully free to develop works further (owing RSO no royalties), including expanding an initial proposal or musical excerpt into a larger work.
I’m not available for all of the dates and times – can I skip some?
No. Signing up for the Aria Institute is an all-inclusive deal: we fully commit to you, and you fully commit to us for the designated days and times. If the June offering doesn’t work with your schedule, the best thing to do is to apply to a future round of the Aria Institute.