Promoting Artistic Excellence and Education in Opera

Annual Convention

NOA holds an annual convention featuring performances, panels, workshops, and other continuing-education opportunities for opera educators, professionals, and students.

2014 New York Convention

Save the Date!

Welcome to New York City! We are pleased to announce that the 59th annual National Opera Association convention will be held from January 9th through 12th, 2014 at the Roosevelt Hotel. The theme of the convention will be:

Opera and Musical Theatre in the 21st Century: Tradition and Innovation Converge

With
The National Opera Association
The National Association of Teachers of Singing
And
Opera America

VP for Conventions Gordon Ostrowski is already working with New York NOA local chair David Ronis and NATS Vice President Kathleen Arecchi on what promises to be our most exciting and interesting convention yet.

In addition to our standing sessions of the Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition, the annual Cabaret, the Vocal Competition at Opera America’s National Opera Center, and Awards Banquet, we will be presenting a full production of the winner of the Chamber Opera Competition. We hope that you will join us in New York as an attendee and/or session presenter.

Contact Gordon Ostrowski at to request a proposal form if you are interested in presenting a session at the convention.

Farewell Portland!

The 58th annual convention, "Inspiring Creative Partnerships: We're Stronger Together" was held in Portland, OR, January 3-6, 2013.

View the full 2013 Convention program.

Portland Convention Highlights

Lifetime Achievement Award: Speight Jenkins, retiring General Director of Seattle Opera Awarded at the Legacy Gala and Awards Banquet on Saturday night, January 5, at 7:30 pm.

Keynote Speaker: Chistopher Mattaliano, General Director of Portland Opera Mr. Mattaliano was the keynote speaker at the opening luncheon on Thursday, January 3 and gave a master class on Auditioning for a General Director on Friday, January 4 from 1:30 pm to 2:55 pm.

Sacred in Opera performance A performance on Friday evening, January 4 at 8 pm included "The Shepherds of the Delectable Mountains" from The Pilgrim's Progress by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and excerpts from A Masque of Angels by Dominick Argento.

Session: Kirke Mechem, composer Presenting a session, "The Composer--Librettist's Dilemma", which featured scenes from his opera The Rivals presented by Portland State University Opera Workshop on Thursday, January 3.

Other highlights

Among other highlights of the convention, Arlene Shrut and Ken Benson, members of New Triad for Collaborative Arts, presented three master class sessions, and conductor Valery Ryvkin and Noel Koran (Tacoma Opera) presented a master class between a conductor and a stage director.

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