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Paris Opera creates a paid route into professional chorus work
The new residency combines production experience with specialist training.
The Paris Opera Academy is introducing a one-year residency for emerging chorus singers from the 2027–28 season. The programme will combine paid professional experience within the institution’s chorus with individual coaching and broader preparation for operatic work.
Applications opened on 19 October and close on 31 December 2026. Selected candidates will be invited to auditions at the Opéra Bastille on 5 and 6 February 2027, with initial notifications expected from 11 January.
Residents will be engaged full time from 23 August 2027 through July 2028, receiving gross monthly pay of €2,300. Applicants should have training equivalent to a bachelor’s degree and/or a recommendation from a recognised musical professional, must be available for the contract period and should not already be employed in a professional chorus.
The practical component includes participation as additional singers in approximately four main-stage productions during the season, alongside projects within the Academy’s own artistic programme. Training will cover repertoire and vocal technique, with language work and other professional skills contributing to the wider curriculum.
The initiative addresses a distinct transition. A conservatoire can develop the individual voice, but joining an opera chorus also requires sustained ensemble discipline, linguistic preparation and the ability to work within a complex rehearsal and production schedule.
By attaching training to paid participation, the programme offers a structured encounter with those demands. It may also support the institution’s longer-term recruitment, although a residency place should not be interpreted as a guarantee of permanent employment.
For prospective applicants, the immediate priorities are the December deadline, full-time availability and the February auditions. For the sector, the scheme provides a concrete example of treating chorus work as a specialised profession with its own route from study into practice.