The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) strengthens the development of Filipino opera talent through the CCP Opera Lab, a pilot training program that bridges formal music education and professional stage experience. By combining intensive mentorship with hands-on participation in a fully staged opera, the program gives emerging singers an opportunity to apply their skills in a professional production setting.
The program brought together 29 selected young classical and opera singers from schools, conservatories, and performing groups across the country for intensive training under internationally acclaimed tenor Arthur Espiritu who served as program director and opera coach. They also worked with CCP Vice President-Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan, chorus master Eugene De Los Santos, and choreographer Paul Morales, gaining experience in vocal performance, stage interpretation, ensemble work, and the demands of operatic production.
The program culminated in the staging of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, featuring the classic Tagalog translation by National Artist for Literature Rolando S. Tinio. Staged from October 22 to 24, 2026, at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCPBlackbox Theater), the production featured a different cast every night.
Beyond presenting a familiar operatic masterpiece, the CCP Opera Lab hopes to provide a practical training ground where emerging singers can develop their craft through direct mentorship and production experience. It also aims to bring opera closer to Filipino audiences, demonstrating how the art form can be both accessible to local audiences and a platform for developing the country’s next generation of opera performers.
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