From 14 to 26 September 2026, OperAffinity returns to Todi for its third edition: an international residency of opera, contemporary composition and visual art.

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After two editions of rapid growth, the festival is back in the historic hilltop town of Todi, now with a firm place on the international cultural calendar. This year’s programme is its most expansive so far: an international artistic residency built around opera and extending into contemporary composition and the visual arts.

Founded and directed by British-Australian soprano Breana Stillman, OperAffinity has grown from a weekend of concerts into a sustained programme of residency, education and international partnership, based at the Convento San Giacomo, the thirteenth-century convent overlooking Todi. Beyond its public performances, the festival works as a platform for residency, mentorship and international collaboration for emerging artists.

“My role is to oversee the festival’s artistic direction, build our international partnerships and faculty, and protect the overall vision of the project,” says Stillman. “We are creating real opportunities for young performers while developing cultural projects that leave a lasting mark on Umbria.”

INSPIRATION

While the first two editions introduced OperAffinity to Todi, the 2026 festival marks a new stage, with the residency model now at the centre of the programme. For two weeks, artists live and work together at the Convento San Giacomo, where singers, pianists, composers and internationally renowned faculty rehearse, collaborate and develop new work side by side.

The 2026 edition brings together an international faculty that includes soprano Marie McLaughlin, bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, Italian opera director Stefano Vizioli, conductor and vocal coach Audrey Saint-Gil, pianist and répétiteur Laetitia Ruccolo, and opera coach and répétiteur Felice Venanzoni. Between them, they have performed, directed and taught at many of the world’s leading opera houses and festivals, among them the Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera, , the Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, the Opéra National de Paris, Glyndebourne and the Bavarian State Opera.

This year’s programme also opens new international collaborations with some of the most respected institutions in classical music. OperAffinity launches its first partnership with the Aspen Music Festival and School, one of the world’s foremost training programmes, welcoming singers and pianists from Aspen’s summer programme to Todi and strengthening cultural ties between Italy and the United States.

A new partnership with the National Opera Studio in London, one of Britain’s most respected training grounds for young singers, brings a recent graduate to this year’s residency, the first step in what is intended to become a long-term relationship. The collaboration reflects OperAffinity’s longstanding ties to Britain, from Stillman’s own British-Australian heritage to British faculty such as Marie McLaughlin and the young British artists in this year’s residency.

These new partnerships sit alongside OperAffinity’s established relationship with the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, which continues to bring outstanding young musicians to Todi.

Among the festival’s new initiatives is the Composition Residency, developed with American composer Alan Fletcher, President and CEO of the Aspen Music Festival and School. As part of the programme, Fletcher mentors young Italian composer Riccardo Palomes, selected from the Accademia Musicale Chigiana’s composition course, led by Salvatore Sciarrino.

The residency culminates in a concert of contemporary music on 24 September at Todi Arts Studio, the former studio and home of sculptor Beverly Pepper. The evening opens with a talk by the Beverly Pepper Foundation on her life and work, followed by a performance of music by Fletcher and by OperAffinity’s Composer-in-Residence, in the very space where she once lived and worked.

Interdisciplinary collaboration continues to shape the 2026 programme. This year, artist Austin Young creates a temporary immersive installation for Todi, transforming the Teatro Comunale into an intimate setting for opera and music. The installation is accompanied by a series of surprise opera flash mobs that animate the town throughout the festival.

OperAffinity’s international artist development programme this year welcomes two young singers from Tunisia and Kenya, who join the residency alongside artists from across the world. Their participation reflects the festival’s ongoing commitment to emerging talent, creating opportunities for artists both internationally and within their own communities through mentorship, training and long-term professional relationships.

As in previous editions, Todi comes alive throughout the festival with pop-up performances and flash mob opera in the town’s piazzas. The education programme returns with a dedicated concert and workshop for local schools, giving students direct contact with the festival’s international artists and faculty.

OperAffinity is a cultural organization committed to artistic excellence, inclusion, and international cooperation in classical music and opera. Through its festivals, educational programs, and global partnerships, it aims to redefine how opera connects with the world, starting from a small Umbrian town with a big cultural heart.

For more information, visit or contact info@operaffinity.com

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