AUDITIONS
LIGHT OPERA OF NEW JERSEY announces June auditions for the LONJ Youth Ensemble. Young singers aged 13 to 20 accepted into the program will receive training and performance opportunities in operetta and musical theatre. Entry is by audition only, and there is a $100 participation fee per student to defray ticket costs, coaching & accompanist fees, travel/food expenses, music royalties, and rentals.
In-person auditions will be on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 7:00 pm, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 140 South Finley Avenue, Basking Ridge, NJ. An accompanist will be provided. Applicants should prepare, and bring sheet music for, two contrasting songs from the operetta or traditional musical theatre repertoire. No rock or pop musical songs, please.
Self-tape auditions emailed to youthensemble@lonj.org by midnight on Friday, June 12, 2026 will be accepted for those who cannot attend auditions in-person. Applicants should state their name and age at the beginning of the recording which should contain two contrasting songs from the operetta or traditional musical theatre repertoire. Songs from rock or pop musicals should be avoided.
ALL applicants must complete the audition form (at https://lonj.clappia.com/app/SOT839427) before the in-person audition or submission deadline. For additional information or to be added to the mailing list for program notifications, contact the LONJ Youth in Arts Director at youthinarts@lonj.org.
With an eye on training the next generation of operetta and musical theatre performers and building an informed audience for the future of those art forms, Light Opera of New Jersey announces the creation of the Light Opera of New Jersey Youth Ensemble.
The goal of the Ensemble is to provide young singers aged 13 to 20 with training and performance opportunities and to guide them as they pursue their interest in operetta and musical theatre. It provides a next step for the winners of LONJ’s successful Stars of Tomorrow Vocal Competition, and the top three winners will be offered a full scholarship to this new Youth Ensemble.
As members of the LONJ Youth Ensemble, participants will be invited to audition for LONJ mainstage productions or to serve in non-performance roles on the production crew.
Members of the Ensemble will also observe rehearsals of other LONJ productions and have the opportunity to meet with the artists and production personnel creating those productions to discuss various elements of theatrical design and production.
Each summer, they will participate in a two-day workshop, facilitated by world-class artists and teachers in the field. The workshops will focus on expanding their knowledge of the operetta and musical theater repertoire, enhancing performance skills, improving audition technique, and introducing the discipline and focus required for a career in the arts.
Each fall, Ensemble members will present the Youth Ensemble Concert, featuring material from operetta and musical theatre, or a staged reading of an operetta or musical. All students in the Youth Ensemble will appear in the concert and will subsequently tour their performance to various retirement communities and community centers.
Entry into the program is by audition only, and there is a $100 participation fee per student to defray ticket costs, coaching & accompanist fees, travel/food expenses, music royalties, and rental of performance spaces.
Plans for future years include the creation of a LONJ Choral Consortium, where choruses from NJ high schools will be invited to perform individually and also combine in song under the baton of LONJ Executive Director Jason Tramm.
For additional information, please join our mailing list or contact Susan Speidel, Shari Loe Youth in Arts Director, at susan.speidel@lonj.org.