BUILD
Nurturing the next generation of artists and arts professionals
Nurturing the creative arts and encouraging the professionals of tomorrow – on stage and behind the scenes – is core to Scottish Opera’s mission.
Opera is a uniquely collaborative art form created by a huge range of skilled professionals. Singers, instrumentalists, artists, artisans, construction specialists, teachers, and administrators come together to create a product so much greater than the sum of its parts. As an industry leader, Scottish Opera brings valuable knowledge and experience to the next generation with creativity, curiosity, and compassion.
New for 2026/27, BUILD brings together a range of initiatives for young people looking to further their knowledge of the arts industry. Through practical and transferrable experiences, we aim to equip budding artists and arts professionals for future employment and help them make informed and ambitious choices – to fulfil their potential and define opera’s next era with confidence, passion, and skill.
Scottish Opera's pre-professional career support is supported by The William Syson Foundation.
‘The performing arts is a house with many doors – and everyone has their own unique path to it. It isn’t our job to decide which doors people use, but to make sure we keep them all wide open so anyone who wants to can come in.’
- Jane Davidson MBE, Director of Outreach & Education
Opportunities
Scottish Opera offers work experience and skills development opportunities at various levels. Secondary school workshops and online resources aim to open young people’s eyes to opportunities in the arts, while a new work experience ‘carousel’ offers practical taster sessions across the Company to showcase the range of careers available. Developing partnerships with Further and Higher Education bodies including North East Scotland College, Glasgow University, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Edinburgh College of Art and City of Glasgow College further this work with tailored experiences and longer work placements specific to areas of study. Aligned to the Scottish Government’s Developing the Young Workforce strategy, these opportunities help ready the young people of Scotland to enter the workforce as confident, skilled contributors.
Since 2024, Scottish Opera has been working with City of Glasgow College’s Creative Industries faculty, giving Photography, Broadcasting and Journalism students practical, real-life experiences, shadowing industry professionals to put their learnings into practice. So far over 85 students have had this invaluable experience, running live streams, recording and editing podcasts and photographing productions, and the partnership has been nominated for a 2026 Herald Education Award.
For those taking their first steps into the world of performance, Scottish Opera’s Children’s Chorus for ages 8-11 teaches musicianship alongside vocal coaching, and explores stage craft, acting, and choreography. As confidence develops, the children experience a range of performance opportunities, from specially commissioned music theatre pieces to roles in mainstage productions including Turandot.
currently recruiting - find out more
Since 2024, Scottish Opera has been working with key specialist music schools across Scotland – Aberdeen City Music School, St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, and Douglas Academy in Glasgow – to support and mentor talented young singers exploring opera as a career. In 2026/27, the Company expands this very successful programme to other schools, giving more students the chance to engage with opera and the professional arts.
This Season, The Orchestra of Scottish Opera leads an innovative new project for young instrumentalists. Incorporating peer-to-peer learning and mentoring of first- and second-year secondary pupils by professional players. This project encourages new ways of thinking about composition, collaboration, and creating new work. Additional support is delivered by award-winning composer Karen MacIver (RED, Scottish Opera Young Company 2024) and renowned playwright, poet and theatre-maker Martin O’Connor.
Find out more and register interest
New for 2026, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's intensive one-year programme, delivered in collaboration with Scottish Opera, gives pre-professional singers access to some of the world’s finest coaches in vocal technique and stagecraft, in a high-level programme designed to prepare them for professional success. At the end of this doctoral level award validated by the University of St Andrews at SCQF level 12, the cohort performs in a Scottish Opera production – this year, Così fan tutte.about Così fan tutte
Scottish Opera's Music Director Stuart Stratford and several members of The Orchestra of Scottish Opera are regular visiting tutors at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; their expertise helps train the next generation of classical musicians in Scotland. RCS MMus conductors enjoy concerto workshop sessions with The Orchestra of Scottish Opera and RCS student soloists, under Stuart’s guidance. The Company also supports the Conservatoire’s Leverhulme Conducting Fellowship. This Season’s Fellow, Stefano Boccacci, will receive training and performance opportunities with the RCS and Scottish Opera, including conducting the 29 May performance of Così fan tutte, as well as training and performing with other professional classical music organisations across Scotland.read more about the fellowship
As one of the National Opera Studio’s partners, Scottish Opera is delighted to host the 2026/27 NOS cohort – a group of the brightest rising star singers and repetiteurs from around the world – for a one-week residency of coaching with the Company’s Music Department, working with The Orchestra of Scottish Opera. The result is an exciting showcase performance of operatic scenes and extracts onstage at the Theatre Royal Glasgow.Find out more about the showcase
Scottish Opera’s Emerging Artists programme gives early career singers, repetiteurs, wig makers, casting officers, directors, and costume makers the opportunity of a lifetime: a period of full-time work with the Company to help them launch their careers. The programme continues to grow thanks to the support of our Emerging Artist Benefactors and Trust supporters, and in 2026/27 a cohort of ten – the largest yet – benefits from this world-class programme.
more about the emerging artists