The Maîtrise Populaire of the Opéra-Comique

La Maîtrise Populaire de l’Opéra-Comique is a unique programme in France. Designed as a school of artistic excellence open to all, it combines singing, theatre and dance with one goal in mind: to enable every young person to flourish in a demanding, supportive and committed community.

The Maîtrise is a performing arts school based on inclusive teaching methods adapted to a wide range of profiles, as there are no prerequisites for joining the Maîtrise. The training is based on two pillars: multidisciplinary teaching and stage work through participation in large-scale productions.

The 126 Maîtrise students are divided into four cycles: pre-Maîtrise corresponds to CM1-CM2 (Year 5-6), the first cycle to secondary school pupils, the second cycle to sixth form pupils and the third cycle to post-baccalaureate students.

Teaching methods

Teaching at La Maîtrise is multidisciplinary and based on active methods, such as the Dalcroze method, which combines music and movement to develop a sense of rhythm, body awareness and self-confidence. This practical approach enables students to quickly grasp the fundamentals of performing and working as part of a team. This enables them to participate in major artistic projects on national stages from the very first months of their training.

Students not only acquire technical skills, but also confidence in their potential.

A team of 13 teachers provides instruction in tap dancing, choral singing, vocal technique, piano, dance and theatre.

A week at the Maîtrise may look like the following examples, depending on the cycle

CHAM classes

All Maîtrise students attend one of the partner public schools, with a specially adapted timetable. Each week, they spend part of the day in class and the other part in arts training.

The partner public schools, located throughout Paris, are as follows:

• Tanger B Elementary School (Paris 19th arrondissement) – primary cycle
• François Couperin Middle School (Paris 4th arrondissement) – middle school cycle
• Henri-Bergson General High School (Paris 19th arrondissement) – general high school cycle
• Abbé-Grégoire Vocational High School (Paris 5th arrondissement) – vocational high school cycle

The Maîtrise Populaire teams work closely with partner institutions and families to promote the success of each student.

An education centre liaises with families, form teachers and school management. Individual interviews are conducted regularly to support each student in their progress, needs and career choices.

The well-being of students is at the heart of our support. A partnership with the Troisième Rive association ensures that a psychologist is available on site every month to meet with students in complete confidentiality and provide external support if necessary.

La Maîtrise Populaire is also committed to preventing gender-based and sexual violence through specific training for staff, the appointment of a clearly identified contact person who is accessible to students, awareness-raising workshops for Maîtrisiens, and the systematic presence of an adult contact person during each production.

La Maîtrise Populaire offers young people a demanding and formative artistic experience, placing them at the heart of professional productions.

Each season, the choir members take part in performances at the Opéra-Comique, as well as projects run by other prestigious institutions in France and abroad. These experiences allow them to discover the rigour of working as part of a team on stage, while developing artistic, technical and interpersonal skills.

The stage thus becomes an educational tool: each performance marks a milestone in the student's journey and reveals their progress. It is in this demanding and instructive environment that young people learn to listen to each other, to persevere and to assert their voices.

There are two ways to join the Maîtrise Populaire:

• Discovery programme in local areas

In partnership with the local education authority, we run an arts outreach programme in REP/REP+ schools. The aim is to reveal talents in young people who would not naturally gravitate towards this type of training.

• Open auditions

Each year, two rounds of auditions allow motivated young people to join the Maîtrise, with no prior level requirements. What are we looking for? Potential, motivation, and the desire to participate in a collective project.

The rules (in french) and practical information guide for the Maîtrise Populaire auditions are online.

Auditions are held every year. Registration for the 2026-2027 academic year will open in December 2025.