Festival 2026 GYO auditions
Be part of the children's chorus in Britten's Billy Budd or Puccini's Tosca
Perform in Festival 2026
We are delighted to announce that we are auditioning young singers aged 9–16 to be part of the children’s chorus in Britten’s Billy Budd and Puccini’s Tosca on stage at Glyndebourne during Festival 2026. Audition applications for both are now open and will close on Sunday 14 December 2025 at 11.59pm.
Audition Process Overview
Audition workshops and sessions will take place onsite at Glyndebourne. These will be led by a team of specialist staff, including conductors, directors, vocal specialists, pianists, and an Italian/Latin coach (for Tosca).
- Sunday 14 December 2025 at 11.59pm– Audition application deadline
- Wednesday 17 December 2025 – Notification of your child’s audition place from Glyndebourne
- Tuesday 6 January 2026 – Deadline to accept your child’s audition place and submit RSVP form
Audition dates and times for Billy Budd and Tosca
Your child must be available for all the audition workshop dates listed below for the opera your child wishes to be considered for:
Audition workshop: music session – Friday 9 January 2026 | 5.00pm – 8.00pm | Male treble (unchanged) voices only for Billy Budd
Audition workshop – Saturday 10 January 2026 | 10.00am – 4.00pm | Billy Budd and Tosca
Audition workshop – Sunday 11 January 2026 | 10.00pm – 3.30pm | Billy Budd and Tosca
Preliminary audition – Sunday 11 January 2026 | 3.45pm – 5.00pm | Billy Budd and Tosca
Final audition: refresher session – Friday 16 January 2026 | 5.00pm – 8.00pm | Billy Budd and Tosca
Final audition – Saturday 17 January 2026 | 10.00am – 3.00pm | Billy Budd and Tosca
Applications are open
We strive to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. If there are ways we can support individuals to participate in the application and auditions process please get in touch with us at takepart@glyndebourne.com.
General Eligibility and Audition Information
To be eligible to audition, applicants must:
- Be a current member of GYO 1 or GYO 2 and aged 9–16 on Friday 9 January 2026 and live within 25 miles of Glyndebourne.
- Have taken part in a GYO workshop, taster day, or production within the last two years and have attended the preparatory workshops.
- Be able to attend all mandatory rehearsals for the opera(s) you intend to audition for.
Please note the maximum age cutoffs: participants must not be older than 16 on 30 July 2026 (for the Billy Budd cast) or 30 August 2026 (for the Tosca cast)
Voice Requirements and Casting Considerations
Children with male treble (unchanged) voices can be considered for casting in both Billy Budd and Tosca but can only be selected for one opera. If you only wish for your child to be considered for one specific opera, please indicate this on the application form.
Children with female voices can only be considered for casting in Tosca.
Tosca Audition Eligibility
- Voice requirement: Children aged 9-16 with female and male treble (unchanged) voices.
- Male treble (unchanged) voices will be considered for the Shepherd Boy solo ‘Io de’ sospiri’ in Act 3.
- Pre-rehearsal commitment: Children cast in Tosca must be able to attend 2 days of GYO rehearsal workshops during the Easter holidays on 21 and 22 March 2026, and 4 days from Monday 30 March – Thursday 2 April 2026.
- Rehearsal and performance timeline: The commitment spans from the end of March 2026 until 30 August 2026, including a month off in between each series (23 June 2026 – 23 July 2026).
Billy Budd Audition Eligibility
- Voice requirement: Children aged 9-16 with male treble (unchanged) voices. Female treble voices cannot be considered.
- Rehearsal and performance timeline: Children cast in Billy Budd must be able to attend rehearsal workshops on Sunday 3 and Sunday 10 May 2026 ahead of the main studio rehearsals starting on 18 May 2026. Please note children may be called in for compulsory music rehearsals between 10 – 17 May 2026
Glyndebourne’s Learning & Engagement programme is made possible thanks to Arts Council England and generous donations through Glyndebourne’s New Generation Programme.
