“CLA was just the program I needed to restore my voice, my determination, and my inspiration to continue to pursue music. ” – Eliana Berrean
2023 CLA Berkshires Alumni: Wesley Diener, Julio Mascaro, and Sarah Luedke
With the announcement of our spring production of Gianni Schicchi comes great anticipation as the CLA Vocal Academy Resident Artists prepare for their final performance of the 2025/2026 CLAVA season. After the production finishes its run, there is less than a month before the start of the 2026 CLA Summer Programs!
This year, we are inviting our beloved CLA alumni to contribute towards the CLA Alumni Named Program Grant. This grant will be entirely funded by singers and pianists who have attended one of the CLA programs in years past. How can you be involved? If you are a CLA alumnus and would like to help a fellow artist have the experience you had at one of the CLA programs, simply fill out our Partial Named Program Grant form with the title of “CLA Alumni Named Program Grant.” Gifts of all sizes are welcome.
The CLA Alumni Named Program Grant is one of two special crowd-sourced grants that we are reinstating this year, together with the CLA Community Named Program Grant. In addition to these, our main CLA Named Program Grant initiative allows donors to fully or partially support individual artists to attend a CLA program.
2023 CLA Italy Artists & Faculty after a concert
In 2025 alone, Classic Lyric Arts awarded $184,000 in Named Program Grants, funding emerging artists across our programs. We offer options for full sponsorship of an artist, as well as multiple tiers of partial sponsorship. These grants go directly to the artists themselves, allowing them to receive the highest level of artistic training at CLA with less or no financial burden on their shoulders. A full or partial Named Program Grant is a meaningful way to make a lasting impact on an artist’s career. Simply visit the Sponsor an Artist page on the CLA website to complete a short form and choose whether you would like to fund a full or partial Named Program Grant.
In 2021, the CLA Alumni Grant sponsored mezzo-soprano Eliana Berrean to attend CLA Italy. A graduate of the Mannes School of Music, Eliana has most recently performed the roles of Stephano and Gertrude at Utah Valley OperaFest. She is also an alum of Opera San Antonio and the Opera des Landes Academy. Eliana shared how the CLA Alumni Named Program Grant changed her life:
CLA Alumna Eliana Berrean
“CLA was just the program I needed to restore my voice, my determination, and my inspiration to continue to pursue music. Having access to the quality of instruction of places like CLA is crucial to my achieving my dream. The CLA Alumni Named Program Grant made this possible for me! Thanks to CLA, I have gained so many tools, skills, and passion to take into the next year of school. Thank you so much for all you give. It is truly felt by young artists.” – Eliana Berrean
CLA artists are immensely grateful and uplifted by the generosity of our donors and alumni. The visionary support of the CLA community makes it possible for us to transform the careers of a new generation of emerging artists – regardless of financial capacity. If you are a CLA alum and would like to directly support an artist to attend a CLA program, fill out our Partial Named Program Grant form today with the title of “CLA Alumni Named Program Grant.”