Through its unique performance-based training program, Wolf Trap Opera has contributed to the career development of over 700 emerging singers. WTO alumni can be found working in every top opera house in the U.S., Europe, and beyond. Offstage, WTO has also provided over 300 fellows and apprentices with the skills needed to achieve significant careers in production, design, and administration.
Wolf Trap Opera artists go on to have long and healthy careers on stage, and many of the leading singers of our time started out as a Wolf Trap Opera artists. Distinguished alumni include: Lawrence Brownlee, Christine Goerke, Eric Owens, Stephanie Blythe, Denyce Graves, Michelle DeYoung, Nathan Gunn, Alan Held and Dawn Upshaw. View a full list of alumni
“A Wolf Trap Opera residency is an essential experience in the formative years of any young singer, and it is a gift to this next generation of leaders in the field.” Christine Goerke
"The standard of singing at Wolf Trap reflects WTO’s high expectations of its young artists. These singers are ready to perform at the world’s large opera houses, and WTO gives them the support they need to start their careers." Simon O’Neill
"Of all my training and early performing opportunities, no program or educational institution had a greater impact upon my career than did the two summers I spent with The Wolf Trap Opera Company. Wolf Trap gave me stable and strong training in performing, learning roles, acting, and simply ‘putting it all together’. I was able to perform leading roles with noted conductors, distinguished directors, and great colleagues—many of whom remain friends and fellow performers to this day. My career would never have got off the ground without my experience at Wolf Trap.” Alan Held
"Wolf Trap’s Filene Artist residency is the most coveted summer program into which any aspiring young singer can be accepted." Eric Owens
"I fondly remember my summers at Wolf Trap Opera as cherished and invaluable periods of growth and enrichment for me as a young artist. We were given opportunities to truly test and challenge our limits as young singers emerging into the professional world." Kate Lindsey