Participants enrolled in the 25th Annual National Music Academy by Varna International will receive in-depth music instruction from our expert faculty and will benefit from fully staged orchestral performance opportunities alongside master artists. The program will take place in major cities throughout South Carolina, including the Capital City of Columbia, as well as the cities of Greenville, and Myrtle Beach along the breathtaking shores of the Grand Strand.
Accepted participants who choose the Opera or Musical Theater option will perform principal or supporting roles in the opera Carmen or Little Women – The Musical. The productions will be staged and performed with orchestra in some of the finest performance venues of South Carolina under the baton of our Music Director, Maestro Gregory Buchalter from The Metropolitan Opera.
Participants will be eligible to audition for future Varna International Productions in Europe and the USA. Apply for one of the options below and join us for an unforgettable summer of music.
TUITION: $1490 PER WEEK (TOTAL TUITION: $5960)
EARLY BIRD: $1265 PER WEEK (TOTAL TUITION: $5065) BY JANUARY 20, 2026
FINAL REGISTRATION DEADLINE: APRIL 15, 2026
What's Included:
- Principal or comprimario (supporting) role in one fully staged orchestral performance of Carmen under the baton of Maestro Gregory Buchalter from the Metropolitan Opera (ROLES MUST BE MEMORIZED PRIOR TO ARRIVAL)
- Consideration to become a soloist in the orchestral performance of From Stage to Screen: An Evening of Broadway Favorites & Hollywood Classics
- Perform in the ensemble of From Stage to Screen: An Evening of Broadway Favorites & Hollywood Classics, under the baton of Maestro Gregory Buchalter from the Metropolitan Opera
- Perform in one Liederabend recital (optional for lead roles)
- Perform in one Broadway Revue recital (optional)
- Perform in the chorus of Sacred Service, by Ernest Bloch
- Perform in the chorus of Carmen (when not performing a role)
- Voice lessons and coaching:
- Lead roles: One 45-minute voice lesson per week, taught by our expert voice faculty
- Comprimario (supporting) roles: Two 45-minute voice lessons per week, taught by our expert voice faculty
- One 30–45-minute coaching (depending on the role/solo) per week with one of our master opera & musical theater coaches
- Music rehearsals with Maestro Gregory Buchalter from the Metropolitan Opera
- Staging rehearsals with the stage director
- Masterclasses
- Careers in Music Round Table discussion with Rachel Calloway, Director of Spark: Music Leadership at Carolina
- Sephardic Art Song: A Meeting of Cultures — This masterclass introduces singers to the fascinating world of Sephardic Art Song—a genre born from the meeting of Sephardic folk tradition and Western classical music. Drawing on the centuries-long journey of the Sephardim, whose diasporic culture preserved the Ladino language and a vibrant oral song heritage, this session explores how composers such as Alberto Hemsi, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco transformed traditional Sephardic melodies into sophisticated art songs. Participants will gain insight into the historical, linguistic, and stylistic contexts of this repertoire while receiving individualized coaching on interpretation, diction, and performance practice.
- Expanding Your Voice: Classical Foundations for Commercial Styles — This masterclass introduces classical singers to crossover techniques to help them approach musical theatre and other commercial styles with a healthy, versatile technique. Participants will work individually on repertoire that spans multiple styles, discovering how principles of breath, phonation, resonance, and articulation from classical training can support expressive, sustainable singing in contemporary genres. This approach equips classical singers with practical tools to navigate stylistic differences while maintaining vocal freedom and longevity.
- Bel Canto Masterclass, taught by Amy Shoremount
Manuel García: The Mastery of Breath & Legato as the Key to Healthy Singing
According to the great singing teacher of the 19th century Manuel García, the breath is the "very element of sound." This lecture introduces singers to the anatomy and physiology of the breath mechanism, introduces them to García and his contributions to the world of singing, explores the methodical approach taught for hundreds of years and the irrefutable connection between legato and a well-supported instrument.
- German diction classes
- French diction classes
- Movement & acting classes
TUITION: $1490 PER WEEK (TOTAL TUITION: $4470)
EARLY BIRD: $1265 PER WEEK (TOTAL TUITION: $3795) BY JANUARY 20, 2026
FINAL REGISTRATION DEADLINE: APRIL 15, 2026
What's Included:
- Principal or comprimario role in one fully staged orchestral performance of Little Women – The Musical (MUSIC MUST BE MEMORIZED PRIOR TO ARRIVAL)
- Solo(s) in From Stage to Screen: An Evening of Broadway Favorites & Hollywood Classics concert with full orchestra under the baton of Maestro Gregory Buchalter from the Metropolitan Opera (MUSIC MUST BE MEMORIZED PRIOR TO ARRIVAL)
- Perform in the ensemble during the Broadway portion of From Stage to Screen: An Evening of Broadway Favorites & Hollywood Classics under the baton of Maestro Gregory Buchalter from the Metropolitan Opera
- Perform in one Broadway Revue recital
- Perform in the chorus of Sacred Service, by Ernest Bloch
- Voice lessons and coaching:
- Lead roles: One 45-minute voice lesson per week, taught by our expert voice faculty
- Comprimario (supporting) roles: Two 45-minute voice lessons per week, taught by our expert voice faculty
- One 30–45-minute coaching (depending on the role/solo) per week with one of our master opera & musical theater coaches
- Music rehearsals with Maestro Gregory Buchalter from the Metropolitan Opera
- Staging rehearsals with the stage director
- Masterclasses
- Careers in Music Round Table discussion with Rachel Calloway, Director of Spark: Music Leadership at Carolina
- Sephardic Art Song: A Meeting of Cultures — This masterclass introduces singers to the fascinating world of Sephardic Art Song—a genre born from the meeting of Sephardic folk tradition and Western classical music. Drawing on the centuries-long journey of the Sephardim, whose diasporic culture preserved the Ladino language and a vibrant oral song heritage, this session explores how composers such as Alberto Hemsi, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco transformed traditional Sephardic melodies into sophisticated art songs. Participants will gain insight into the historical, linguistic, and stylistic contexts of this repertoire while receiving individualized coaching on interpretation, diction, and performance practice.
- Expanding Your Voice: Classical Foundations for Commercial Styles — This masterclass introduces classical singers to crossover techniques to help them approach musical theatre and other commercial styles with a healthy, versatile technique. Participants will work individually on repertoire that spans multiple styles, discovering how principles of breath, phonation, resonance, and articulation from classical training can support expressive, sustainable singing in contemporary genres. This approach equips classical singers with practical tools to navigate stylistic differences while maintaining vocal freedom and longevity.
- Bel Canto Masterclass, taught by Amy Shoremount
- German diction classes
- French diction classes
- Movement & acting classes
- Make up masterclasses
TUITION: $1490 PER WEEK (TOTAL TUITION: $2980)
EARLY BIRD: $1265 PER WEEK (TOTAL TUITION: $2530) BY JANUARY 20, 2026
FINAL REGISTRATION DEADLINE: APRIL 15, 2026
What's Included:
- Solo(s) in From Stage to Screen: An Evening of Broadway Favorites & Hollywood Classics concert with full orchestra under the baton of Maestro Gregory Buchalter from the Metropolitan Opera (MUSIC MUST BE MEMORIZED PRIOR TO ARRIVAL)
- Perform in the ensemble during the Broadway portion of From Stage to Screen: An Evening of Broadway Favorites & Hollywood Classics under the baton of Maestro Gregory Buchalter from the Metropolitan Opera
- Perform in one Broadway Revue recital
- Perform in the chorus of Sacred Service, by Ernest Bloch
- Voice lessons and coaching:
- Lead roles: One 60-minute voice lesson per week, taught by our expert voice faculty
- Comprimario (supporting) roles: Two 60-minute voice lessons per week, taught by our expert voice faculty
- One 30–45-minute coaching (depending on the role/solo) per week with one of our master opera & musical theater coaches
- Music rehearsals with Maestro Gregory Buchalter from the Metropolitan Opera
- Masterclasses
- Careers in Music Round Table discussion with Rachel Calloway, Director of Spark: Music Leadership at Carolina
- Sephardic Art Song: A Meeting of Cultures — This masterclass introduces singers to the fascinating world of Sephardic Art Song—a genre born from the meeting of Sephardic folk tradition and Western classical music. Drawing on the centuries-long journey of the Sephardim, whose diasporic culture preserved the Ladino language and a vibrant oral song heritage, this session explores how composers such as Alberto Hemsi, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco transformed traditional Sephardic melodies into sophisticated art songs. Participants will gain insight into the historical, linguistic, and stylistic contexts of this repertoire while receiving individualized coaching on interpretation, diction, and performance practice.
- Expanding Your Voice: Classical Foundations for Commercial Styles — This masterclass introduces classical singers to crossover techniques to help them approach musical theatre and other commercial styles with a healthy, versatile technique. Participants will work individually on repertoire that spans multiple styles, discovering how principles of breath, phonation, resonance, and articulation from classical training can support expressive, sustainable singing in contemporary genres. This approach equips classical singers with practical tools to navigate stylistic differences while maintaining vocal freedom and longevity.
- Bel Canto Masterclass, taught by Amy Shoremount
- German diction classes
- French diction classes
- Movement & acting classes
- Make up masterclasses
LITTLE WOMEN is presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
