APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN ON YAPTRACKER
JULY 27 - AUGUST 8, 2026
Deadline: Monday, December 1, 2025
American Wagner Festival combines the forces of soprano and director, Jane Eaglen, and conductor Jonathan McPhee; together, they present an education-forward program for singers with the potential to sing Wagner. With McPhee's American Wagner Festival Orchestra, and Eaglen's vocal and dramatic training, singers will perform semi-staged Wagnerian scenes with a full orchestra.
With a career spanning the roles of Wagner’s heroines in opera houses around the world, Ms. Eaglen has first-hand knowledge of what it takes to build vocal stamina and maintain dramatic interest to fill the expansive music and staging of this style. Ms. Eaglen is committed to passing on the benefit of her extensive experience to the Wagner singers of the future.
The program will be limited to a small number of participants, enabling the program to offer daily private sessions and scene preparation for each participant, rotating between Ms. Eaglen and Brett Hodgdon. Each student will have a private voice lesson with Ms. Eaglen. Participants will learn the style of Wagner’s music with master pianist coach, Brett Hodgdon.
Recognizing the need for training singers with similar voice types together, we will offer every participant an opportunity to learn from their colleagues in studio class and a masterclass with Ms. Eaglen. We are excited to have Wagnerian tenor Jay Hunter Morris come for a two-day residency filled with individual coachings and culminating in a public masterclass.
There will be daily dramatic sessions and stagings for students’ individual scenes. Aria and scene repertoire for study, which may be included in the final performance, will be assigned based on accepted participants. We are excited to announce that all our events' facilities will be hosted in Lexington, Massachusetts, including our final performance at the historic Cary Hall. All participants will receive a high quality video of them singing Wagner with orchestra.
There will be a couple of small additional performance opportunities, including a Pops Concert and a Wagner and Vino night, hosted at The Burren in Somerville, MA.
Ample time and space for private practice and group socialization will be built into the program to aid retention of new information and set participants up for their future. We hope you will consider applying to join us this summer.
HOW TO APPLY:
Please submit a resume, headshot, a repertoire list for your audition, and two video-recorded arias, one must be by Richard Wagner. There is no age limit.
Auditions will be entirely virtual from your video recordings. There is a $20 application fee.
Tuition for accepted students is $3400.
The program runs from 07/27/26 to 08/08/26 with Sunday 08/02/26 as a free day.
Accommodation is not provided, but home stays or other opportunities may be available to accepted singers upon request, based on need. Scholarships are not guaranteed, but may also be available to accepted singers.
Hosted in Lexington, Massachusetts, with all rehearsals, coachings, classes, and performances held in town.