The Atelier Lyrique: a springboard to the professional stage

Interview with Stephen McHolm, Director of the Academy and Cultural Development.

“The Atelier lyrique supports young singers by providing them with the confidence and tools needed to build a lasting artistic career.”
Stephen McHolm, Director of Academy and Cultural Development

Atelier lyrique with John Fisher © LaureN Pasche

The Atelier Lyrique is today one of the flagships of the Verbier Festival Academy. What makes it so distinctive?

Today, a lyrical career is no longer limited to opera. Singers move from recital to stage, from chamber music to musical theatre. The Atelier Lyrique addresses this reality. This summer, fifteen young singers from around the world are working with Caroline Dowdle, head of the opera programme, and James Baillieu, head of the song programme, alongside great artists such as Renée Fleming, Thomas Quasthoff, Dorothea Röschmann, and Sandrine Piau. Together, they develop vocal technique, interpretation, stage presence, and a true artistic identity.

How do you prepare these young artists for their entry into the profession?

The training combines individual coaching, public masterclasses, and stage experiences. The singers present three public recitals — opera arias, Lied and mélodie, then Chamber Song with the instrumentalists of the Verbier Festival Academy — before returning to the stage in La Traviata, Verdi’s first opera presented by the Atelier Lyrique, with the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra conducted by James Gaffigan.

Broadcast on medici.tv, these productions have already allowed several of them to be noticed by agents and casting directors. This year, we have also invited managers, agents, and opera directors to attend concerts, masterclasses, and auditions to offer participants valuable feedback and initial professional contacts. Many alumni return to perform at the Festival. Another sign of this success: singers represent the majority of the Prix Yves Paternot laureates.

What do you wish to convey to them above all?

The confidence and tools necessary to build a lasting career. Starting next spring, an Atelier Lyrique residency in Évian will extend this support to young graduates.

The Verbier Festival wishes to express its deepest gratitude to its patrons, sponsors, partners and public institutions for their support and generous contributions.