In terms of musical theatre, the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln is also one of the leading education centers in Europe. In order to live up to these expectations, the University has formed an organization specifically for training opera singers. This program guarantees a highly attractive academic program focused on opera as compared to similar programs in the international arena. The name of the program is Rheinische Opernakademie and it is an international center teaching musical theatre skills at the Cologne and Aachen campuses. The program was established with a clear focus on goals and efficiency based on the University’s new constitution following the planned merger of the faculty departments at the individual campuses with the Oper Köln and the Stadttheater Aachen.

The main foundation for the educational excellence of the opera program is the well-established curriculum for the Bachelor of Music in Singing, which is offered at all three campuses in Köln, Aachen, and Wuppertal. The specific requirement for studying at the Rheinische Opernakademie is acceptance for the Master of Opera program, which is primarily established at the Cologne and Aachen campuses. In order to ensure a smooth transition to the master’s program, students who are well-suited for the master’s degree are also integrated into the opera academy in their final year of their bachelor’s program. Course offerings are distinguished by the following:

• Solid individual and ensemble instruction for voice and répétiteurs as well as stage work, provided by world-renowned voice coaches, répétiteurs, and conducting instructors as well as University lecturers
• Intensive individual coaching in role study, movement, stage presence, and speech training as well as Italian, French, and Russian language courses
• Periodic master classes and workshops with international guests
• Up to five annual opera productions of different sizes with works ranging from the Baroque period to the present
• Collaboration with the Stadttheater Aachen in the form of an annual opera production as part of subscription performance
• Extensive collaboration with the Cologne Opera in the form of early casting for small and medium roles for their opera productions as well as their children’s opera productions
• Collaboration with WDR, the Philharmonic Symphony of Cologne, and other cultural entities from the city as well as participation in musical theatre productions at theaters in North Rhine-Westphalia