It takes unwavering creativity and a tenacious spirit to bring a new level of excitement to opera. The Lindemann Young Artist Development Program (LYADP) is the Met’s premier vehicle to train extraordinarily gifted vocalists, coaches, and pianists. The program allows students to work with current and former Met artists, provides lessons with internationally recognized coaches and musicians, and gives perhaps the greatest opportunity of all: a chance to perform on the Met stage.
Founded in 1980, the program is named after Dr. Frayda B. Lindemann and Mr. George Lindemann in appreciation of their outstanding support of the Met. Since then, more than 170 artists have benefited from its exceptional training.
The LYADP is proud that, in addition to national talent, the 2021–22 cohort included artists from South Africa, Ukraine, Mexico, and New Zealand. With such a powerful team of students and instructors, it is no surprise that Lindemann Young Artists are in high demand all over the world and are making remarkable advancements in their careers.
Last season, second-year LYADP student Cierra Byrd, a mezzo-soprano from Ohio, made her Met debut as Bertha in Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones. Likewise, Vladyslav Buialskyi, a bass-baritone from Ukraine, and Yunuet Laguna, a soprano from Mexico, made their Met debuts as the Captain in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Kate Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, respectively.
The program has also garnered decades of distinction. Some of opera’s most celebrated performers are also LYADP graduates. For example, Erin Morley, star of Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice and Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto during the Met’s 2021–22 season, is not only an alumna of the LYADP, she is also one of today's most sought-after coloratura sopranos. She is a regular on some of the greatest opera stages in the world, including the Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Paris Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Santa Fe Opera, LA Opera, and of course, the Met. With the company, she has sung more than 100 performances and has been featured in five “Live in HD” broadcasts.
The Met understands that the artists of today will shape the art of tomorrow. The company remains committed to providing new talent with the training, resources, and opportunities needed to reach their fullest potential. By establishing a gift to the Met in your estate plan, such as a bequest in your will or trust, a beneficiary designation, or a life income gift like our pooled income fund or a charitable remainder trust, the legacy that you leave behind can have a profound impact on the future of opera.
To discover all that your legacy can support, contact Pamela Bennett at 212.870.7388 or encoresociety@metopera.org.