Les Azuriales Opera

Les Azuriales Opera is an Anglo-French organisation that focuses on finding outstanding young artists and making a significant difference to their early operatic careers. Its activities take place in Cap Ferrat, Villefranche-sur-Mer and London.

Les Azuriales Young Artist Programme, lasting approximately two weeks, takes place each year in August at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat, and the Citadelle Saint-Elme [fr] in Villefranche-sur-Mer, both on the Côte d'Azur near Nice in France. The programme consists of a singing competition (with prizes of €10,000), public and private masterclasses and an opera performance put together from scratch in a week.

Each year more than 100 singers from around the world are auditioned and 8 to 10 are chosen to become Les Azuriales Young Artists. Les Azuriales has strong links with South Korea, South Africa, Armenia and Russia.

The distinguished givers of its public master classes and private workshops have included: Lucy Arner, Sally Burgess, Peter Coleman-Wright, Michèle Crider, Sarah-Jane Davies, Peter Kazaras, Ljuba Kazarnovskaya, Elaine Kidd, Martin Lloyd-Evans, Emanuele Moris, Dennis O'Neill, Pedro Ribeiro, Brindley Sherratt and Alessandro Talevi.

A number of its young artists have been winners or finalists of major competitions, including the Montserrat Caballé Prize, the Kathleen Ferrier Award, the Stella Maris awards and Cardiff Singer of the World.

Seven of its alumni have joined London's Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists programme. Others have been to the National Opera Studio (UK), Vienna State Opera and other prestigious programmes.

Les Azuriales Opera is unusual as a young artist programme in that it provides ongoing moral and financial support to its young artists.

Les Azuriales Opera is administered almost entirely by volunteers (as opposed to the musical organisation, which is entirely professional). It is privately funded by private and corporate donors.