The YPO Scenes Competition
The YPO Scenes Competition recognizes and promotes artistic excellence in opera performance within college and university programs. Rooted in the mission of the Young People’s Opera Committee, the competition supports the creation and performance of opera made by and for pre-college audiences, while fostering a collaborative environment in which practitioners can share ideas, learn, perform, and create together. The competition is held in honor of Emily Hammood, a dedicated champion of opera for pre-college aged audiences.
Application is by video submission only, with adjudication by the YPO Committee. Selected winners will be announced and the winning video featured at the 2027 National Conference in Minneapolis.
Apply Now
Applications are now open for the 2027 YPO Scenes Competition, conducted entirely by video submission. Deadline to apply is October 15, 2026.
2027 YPO Scenes Competition Guidelines
Eligibility
- The competition is for college and university programs only. The college/university OR submitting faculty member must be a member of NOA to apply.
- There is a $25 fee per application to enter the competition, paid online through the NOA website.
- The scene entry shall have been performed between October 15, 2025 and October 15, 2026.
- The scene submitted to this year's YPO Scenes Competition may not be a scene submitted to a past YPO Scenes Competition.
- A college or university may enter more than one scene AND singers may appear in more than one scene submitted.
- Videos of scenes may be from a public performance, a non-public performance, or a dress rehearsal.
- If a student at a college or university also holds faculty status of any kind at that institution, that student is ineligible and may not appear in a submitted scene. (This does not apply to Graduate Teaching Assistants.)
- A scene may be submitted to both the Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition (COSC) and the Young People’s Opera Scenes Competition in the same application cycle if it qualifies under each competition's guidelines.
Guidelines
Competition
College aged performers may consist of undergraduates, graduates, or a combination, but all must be students from the same institution.
Submissions must primarily feature college or university students. Pre-college-aged performers may be included in a scene submission; however, submissions composed exclusively of pre-college-aged performers are not permitted. For any scene that includes participants under college age, the submitting college or university must disclose this and if applicable, also indicate that the parents or legal guardians of all minors involved have given explicit consent to be filmed.
Repertoire
YPO literature of all styles and periods is eligible for submission.
YPO literature is intended for pre-college audiences and is often categorized according to developmental stages, such as elementary-aged and secondary school–aged groups.
YPO repertoire is further distinguished by performer composition, including works designed for adult performers, works intended for child performers, and works that incorporate a combination of both adult and child performers.
Therefore, submitted YPO scenes may be for children, with children, or about children.
Submissions from works in the NOA YPO Database are preferred. If the work is not yet listed in the NOA YPO Database, we encourage you to submit it for consideration.
The quality of singing and vocal technique will be strongly considered.
Definition of a Scene
For the purpose of the YPO Scenes Competition, a scene is defined as an extracted portion of a larger work. Scene submissions must be no longer than eight minutes in length and originate from a complete work. All submitted scenes must be from a show which has already received a full production by a professional opera company or a college/university program.
Length of Scene
Suggested length of scenes submitted is six to eight minutes. Judges will stop reviewing the video submissions at the eight-minute mark. There is no minimum time requirement.
Judging Criteria and Procedures
The scene will be judged on musical style and accuracy, diction, vocal quality, basic stagecraft, individual characterization and ensemble interaction, and creative use of set, props, and costumes.
College and university programs submitting a YPO scene must provide a digital copy of the synopsis of the opera.
Video Submissions
The application is available as an online form, which will require you to supply a link to a YouTube video or other non-password-protected streaming video format. The video must be anonymous with no identifying names or photos associated with it. Please do not submit a video which requires a password. The video may be public or on a private channel as long as it meets all standards of anonymity and is directly accessible to the judge via the submitted link. The application must be submitted no later than 5:00 pm CST October 15, 2026.
The uploaded video should be labeled only with the name of the opera and scene to preserve anonymity for the judging. There should be no other identifying features in the link or on the video itself in order to prevent disqualification.
Submitting video in the correct format is the responsibility of the submitting director. YPO Committee members will not be available to format or alter video files.
Please feel free to contact the competition chairs (below) with any questions or if you need assistance with uploading your video to a YouTube link.
Questions
Questions regarding the competition may be addressed to:
Lynette Pfund, competition co-chair, at ,
Courtney Kalbacker, competition co-chair, at , or to
Kirk Severtson, Executive Director, at .