Tucked away in Chapel Yard off Wandsworth High Street, a small studio has launched more than 600 opera careers since 1978 – including singers now performing at the Royal Opera House and several honoured with OBEs and CBEs.
Nicky Spence, Susan Bullock, and Gerald Finley: opera fans know these names well. But what is less known, perhaps, is that they all began in the same place: the National Opera Studio (NOS).
Founded by the Arts Council to give Britain’s young opera talent elite training, NOS has brought talent to Wandsworth since 2003 when it moved from Morley College, Lambeth, to a converted chapel in The Clore – known as Memorial Hall.
Its cohort has also expanded beyond British talent. Now, artists from all over the world have taken part, with this year’s young artists a diverse mix of Welsh, Spanish, and Swedish nationalities.
Earning a spot is brutal: Of the 535 applications sent in this year, 75 will be asked to perform live in front of a panel of 20 casting directors from companies like the Royal Opera House.
Then, within a matter of days, just 12 singers and four repetiteurs (a collaborative pianist that specialises in opera) will be offered a place. News which Su Choung, a repetiteur currently on the programme, said was “an amazing surprise; I think I cried.”
Training for life
The nine-month-long course offers opportunities unheard of in the world of opera. For one, the programme is free, where performers receive a monthly £1000 stipend and a £650 bursary to help with London living costs.
Young artists also receive four coaching sessions a day, with conductors visiting bi-weekly from one of NOS’ six partner companies: the English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Opera North, Royal Ballet & Opera, Scottish Opera and Welsh National Opera. Recording techniques, social media branding, and CV-building tools all form part of the curriculum which has helped shape the careers of artists.
Tomos Owen Jones, a tenor on the programme, said, “They really try to train you for life as a performer. So you also get training on things like psychology, attitude, and vocal health to help you prepare for a career in opera.”
For him, the financial support has also been invaluable. Without it, he believes, “I wouldn’t be able to afford to do this.”
The reason behind this, Eric Melear, NOS’s artistic director, explains is that artists of this ability should not be paying for training. Rather, NOS employs them and offers training to better their skills. He said, “We’re looking for people who have a distinctive voice, both physically and artistically. People who can make the most of this bridge into their career.”
From Wandsworth to the world
NOS’ legacy outshines its physical size. Apart from Nicholas (Nicky) Spence, the Scottish tenor who received an OBE in 2023 for his contributions to UK and international opera, famous alums include Gerald Finley, a Canadian bass-baritone singer, and British soprano Susan Bullock, a 2014 CBE recipient.
Two people from the first ever Young Artist group, Marie McLaughlan and Alexander Ingram, are also still coaches at the studio. As Peter Di Toro, NOS’ head of marketing, notes, “It’s just great to see that we have that relationship with them and they’re still working for us.”
A community impact
NOS has made a real difference in Wandsworth too. Their Wandsworth Wednesday recitals have run once a month – at lunchtime – for over four years now, offering residents a free opportunity to connect over live music. Although the hall has space for 28 visitors, sessions are popular and the next recital on January 6 has already sold out.
The feedback from the community, Melear said, has been overwhelmingly positive. “What I hear from visitors is that they’re just appreciative that they can walk a few minutes from their door and be exposed to great voices. To be able to present things at such a high level is a wonderful thing for our community.”
The studio has not only acted as a hub venue for the annual Wandsworth Arts Fringe but local schools have also benefitted from NOS’ training.
Most recently, Di Toro said NOS trained 300 schoolchildren in Wandsworth Secondary Choir to perform at the Brighter Sounds concert, which took place at the Royal Albert Hall in March. “It was an experience that was amazing for both us and the children.”
Making opera accessible
To fund all this, the organisation relies heavily on the support of the Arts Council of England, as well as from the partner companies and private donors.
However, funding and expenses have always been a challenge in opera – where a single recording session costs hundreds of pounds – making the art inaccessible to most.
As Jones said, “It’s a really expensive job, and not the most stable career.”
Yet, the studio aims to change this through their academy, which offers free vocal coaching and career help for 19 to 25-year-old UK-based singers facing financial barriers to entering opera. Through this, Melear hopes the future will bring more diversity to the arts.
Di Toro and Melear believe demand for programmes like the Young Artists will grow as a career in opera becomes more accessible. The next generation of opera stars is being trained right now in Chapel Yard. You just need to know where to look.
Applications for the 2026/27 Young Artists programme have closed. More information on the studio – including where to book the next Wandsworth recital – can be found at: https://www.nationaloperastudio.org.uk/
