ABout US

The IPAI family is a unique group of professional artists, educators, and alumni who join forces each summer to help young artists realize their full potential as singer-actors.

Our primary goal is to create an environment that nurtures creativity and offers real-life opportunities for artistic employment in the US and Europe.​

Our Vision & mission

V I S I O N

IPAI empowers, connects, mentors, and encourages artists through personalized artist-centered training, international experiences, cultural exchange, and real-world professional opportunities.

 

M I S S I O N

We inspire and empower artists through meaningful connections and personalized training with international professionals. We are dedicated to developing artistry, crafting skill-sets, and nurturing growth within a community of encouragement.

Our Artists

IPAI believes in identifying and nurturing young artists, meeting them where they are, and taking them to the next step of their career. We want to inspire creativity and help artists remember why they chose music. Our faculty are united in our belief that there is room for every artistic voice, especially those who find non-traditional career paths and that a full, balanced, and joyful life encompasses much more than “just performing.” We want to empower young artists to discover their passions (artistically and beyond) and give them the tools, network, skills, and encouragement to bring their passions to fruition.

 

Numbers are intentionally limited so that our faculty can get to know each young artist individually and create a comprehensive experience that meets their personal goals. We use the audition and the potential candidate’s application responses to see if both IPAI and the artist are a good match. Is the artist at a turning point or transition in their career path/life? Do they embody something special or unique that needs nurturing and encouragement? Would one of our faculty be an excellent mentor or have the ability to awaken some hidden jewel in the artist? Is the artist looking for connection, honesty, and self-exploration through their artistry?

 

Our artists are usually looking for guidance, new ideas, and opportunity as they walk into the next phase of their creative life, be it graduate school, young artist programs, main stage roles, US and German audition tours, agent auditions, or their own entrepreneurial projects and concerts.  Artists will find reflection, encouragement, and advice as they face major decisions, encounter turning points in their career, or forge new creative paths during any of our IPAI experiences.

Careers in Europe

Germany is a unique combination of European artistic and cultural history, strong performing arts traditions, and social systems that support and protect opera houses, theaters, and performing arts organizations: making Germany an ideal place to pursue a classical music career. With at least one and sometime multiple theaters and opera houses in almost every major city, it's no wonder that nearly one third of all opera performances world-wide take place in Germany each year. This kind of opportunity and the possibility of winning a "Festvertrag" (a competitive contract at a theater that guarantees health insurance, social and retirement benefits, and a measure of job security) have drawn US singers to Europe since before the fall of the iron curtain. In spite of the current competitive market, American singers maintain the advantage of having some of the best all-around vocal and performance training in the world. US singers are consistently recognized as zealous, well-prepared, personable, flexible, and possessing exceptional stage-presence.

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Like in the US, current European casting trends reflect a growing need for singer-actors who are well-trained and extremely versatile. Many theaters now include at least one or more broadway musicals as part of their annual season. Our faculty and staff have developed relationships with German partners who align with our mission of helping young singers build a bridge into the European market. As part of the IPAI Germany experience, our faculty counsel and connect young emerging artists as they explore opportunities to perform, study, and network in Europe.

 

Opera artists have the possibility to network with casting and stage directors, agents, coaches, and other industry professionals who can help them build the skills to prepare a German resume; contact and secure auditions as part of a German audition tour; sing auditions for masters programs, young artist programs, and house or agent auditions; and secure a residence permit, German insurance, bank account, apartment, etc. Through valuable networking formed during IPAI, some of our young artists have begun their professional performance careers in regional houses in both Germany and the United States.

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IPAI is very proud to partner with Ralph Schädler and Stage Entertainment Deutschland in connecting young musical theatre and crossover artists to audition opportunities in Germany. Stage Entertainment is the largest producer of American Broadway Musical Theatre in Germany and is responsible for bringing shows such as Wicked, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Elton John's Aida, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Mamma Mia and many, many others to Europe. Stage Entertainment casts musical theatre artists from the US in both leading and supporting roles, many of whom get their start working professionally in Europe and go on to form successful international careers. ​

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