As of the sum­mer of 2008, the Salzburg Fest­iv­al hosts a Young Sing­ers Pro­ject dir­ec­ted by Mi­chael Schade and Bar­bara Bon­ney. To­geth­er with Artist­ic Dir­ect­or Jürgen Flimm and Artist­ic Ad­min­is­trat­or Evamaria Wieser, the two artists have in­vited young, highly tal­en­ted pro­fes­sion­al sing­ers to Salzburg for this pro­gramme.

El­ev­en sing­ers from around the world were se­lec­ted for the Young Sing­ers Pro­ject from over 200 ap­plic­ants fol­low­ing au­di­tions in New York, Lon­don, Toronto and Salzburg, they work with Fest­iv­al artists in Salzburg, at­tend re­hears­als and study roles of the op­era rep­er­toire.

In ad­di­tion to the work­ing ses­sions, there are six mas­ter classes open to the pub­lic. Through their daily ex­change with the artists at the Fest­iv­al, the young artists gain know­ledge and ex­per­i­ence.The pub­lic mas­ter classes are held at the Uni­versity’s Great Aud­it­or­i­um and are led by Christa Lud­wig, Bar­bara Bon­ney, Mi­chael Schade, Jürgen Flimm, Thomas Quas­thoff, Franz Grundheber and Mal­colm Mar­tineau.