The Voice and Opera Department of the Eastman School of Music cherishes its relationship with the organization known as the Friends of Eastman Opera, an organization we believe to be unique in academic opera programs. For more than a decade, this vibrant group of opera lovers (a few hundred of them!) has lent its support to Eastman Opera Theatre in a myriad of ways. It has provided the funds with which the program purchased both the super title projector, which is used now for nearly every production, and a state-of-the-art video recorder, usable to record productions, but also available to Eastman singers for the purpose of recording DVDs for auditions. The FEO is a very visible entity at all of our events, and, as our most passionate "fan club," helps to spread the word throughout the Rochester community about opera in general and Eastman Opera Theatre in particular. The FEO's commitment to the nurturing of young singers makes a real difference in the quality of our program.

Every November the FEO holds the Friends of Eastman Opera Vocal Competition in which a number of Eastman's very best singers compete for significant cash awards. It is also an opportunity for these singers to perform for a nationally, or even internationally recognized conductor, stage director, or impresario serving as adjudicator, who can give them valuable feedback and could, potentially, even hire them. Recent judges have represented the opera companies of Pittsburgh, Fort Worth, Des Moines, Berlin, Bayreuth, Chicago Lyric Opera, Florentine Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and the Opera Orchestra of New York. The finalists who perform in this event, typically held the Saturday before Thanksgiving, are selected by the members of the Voice and Opera Faculty at a preliminary audition about a month earlier from a larger group of singers who have been nominated by their voice teachers.

The Friends of Eastman Opera has also recently initiated a Student Opportunity Award, for which Eastman Students may apply. This award has typically been given to aid students in attending summer programs, either in the United States or abroad, but also may be given to help needy students with the costs of traveling to auditions or special musical events. Applications for the FEO Students Opportunity Award may be procured from any member of the Voice and Opera Faculty or from the links above.