The Butler Opera International Competition, now in its fourth year, is an international outreach program directed by Professors Darlene Wiley and Dr. Tamar Sanikidze. BOI competitively selects the world’s most gifted emerging vocal artists who are ready to launch their careers in opera. The finalists travel to the University of Texas in Austin, where they are presented in concert with the Central Texas Philharmonic, conducted by Stefan Sanders and participate in a week-long festival. The prizes include international recognition, a professional-grade HD audio, and video recording of the concert as well as over $30,000 USD in prize money, and an appearance with the Central Texas Philharmonic. All BOI Festival events will be held on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, and some public events will be available through ZOOM.
This Competition and Festival unites three Texas musical institutions- Butler Opera Center at the University of Texas, Central Texas Philharmonic, and Austin Opera. Each bring their expertise to the shape of the Festival with the goal of enriching the lives of musical lovers in Central Texas.
