What to know
- Toronto mezzo-soprano singer Ariana Maubach has been selected for the prestigious, all-expenses-paid Merola Opera Program in San Francisco, chosen as one of just 28 participants from over 1,500 applicants.
- Maubach, who previously attended in 2025, called the program a “holy grail” opportunity and said she feels proud to represent Canada as the only Canadian singer in this year’s cohort.
- The 12-week program offers intensive, personalized training and high-level industry connections to help emerging opera artists transition from university to professional careers.
A singer from Toronto will be representing Canada at a prestigious international opera program this summer.
Ariana Maubach, who is a mezzo-soprano range singer, will be attending the Merola Opera Program, a 12-week program in San Francisco, for the second time.
“I’m so, so, so thrilled to be going back,” she told Now Toronto. “Merola was always the place that I wanted to be and never could have imagined getting in, and then last summer, it happened, so I feel incredibly grateful.”
It’s something the singer always wanted to experience while working towards a professional career.
“I remember when I was little, I had always dreamed of picking a path or a career where I was able to do something that I love and it wasn’t going to be something that felt like work and fortunately, I think that I’ve landed on that,” Maubach said.
This year, out of over 1,500 applicants, only 28 were selected to attend the all-expenses-paid program.
Maubach, who first participated in the program in the summer of 2025, auditioned and was selected again for the upcoming season.
“[Last year], I remember going up to the roof of [the Academy of Vocal Arts]… and I remember just crying,” Maubach said. “To put it in context, there have been lots of things that have happened, and I don’t find that I get too emotional or kind of too swept up by it, but this was certainly an achievement that brought out some emotions in me. I was very, very excited.”
Maubach said the feeling was the same when she found out she got into the program again.
“The Merola Opera Program was always the holy grail of summer festivals that you could attend, like in my mind, that was always kind of a bucket list in the back of my head, [a] dream place to end up,” she said.
Alek Shrader, the director of membership and engagement at Merola, told Now Toronto that young artists who attend the program are able to receive intimate training with experienced vocal artists, instrumentalists and other coaches.
“Our participants, we call them merolini, are here to train in opera, either as singers or pianist coaches or even directors [and] stage directors,” Shrader said. “We offer them the best training that they can possibly find in that range between university and a professional career, and so we help to give them that next step, or get them started on their journey into a professional existence.”
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Shrader said this year saw the most applications of all time, with around 200 more applicants than usual.
He added the program has such a large enough reputation, that those who finish it are considered Merolini for life.
“I hope they know that we consider them ours, and that we will be there with them every step of the way, even though they’re not in San Francisco anymore,” Shrader said. “We’ll always have their back.”
Maubach said the program is a very personal experience for each participant.
“You can tell that by the way the program is tailored, they are investing in you and your development and your growth and your career and it really is a customizable program,” she said. “If you want to have more lessons, if you want to have more coachings, if you feel overwhelmed and want to take some of that off your plate, all of those things are choices that you can make.”
Representing Canada
Maubach is one of three Canadians attending the program this year. Toronto-based pianist Sakurako Jayne Abe and Montreal-based pianist Tony Stauffer will also be participating this summer.
“I’m the only Canadian singer, and then there are two pianists this year who I’m very eager to meet,” Maubach said. “It certainly is a badge of honour, and I’m very, very proud to be Canadian.”
Other participants attending will also be coming from Australia, China, South Korea, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Mexico and the United States.
With the experience at Merola, Maubach said she hopes to improve her talent through the rigorous training provided.
“The connections at Merola are out of this world… they bring in coaches, conductors, teachers from every top tier house in North America,” she said. “It’s a great place to make connections and to network and to pick people’s brains and really try and ask for advice.”
Maubach said the experience is something she recommends to anyone who is interested in applying, and advised to just be patient.
“If it’s something that you love, I say, go for it and on your path, try and really hone in on what you have to offer that’s unique,” she said. “It’s such a competitive field, but if you really have a clear idea in mind of what makes your storytelling or your voice unique or special, I think that the faster you can hone in on that, the faster you know that’ll come across and you’ll really start to shine.”
Performances for the 2026 Merola Summer Festival will be announced in the spring.
