The Symphony & Opera Academy of the Pacific (SOAP) are an important part of Powell River’s Cultural Master Plan. Managed by the Powell River Academy of Music, The Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific (est. 2003) provides a unique, in-depth musical experience for emerging professional musicians of exceptional ability. Participants in the program work with internationally renowned artists from some of the world’s finest symphony orchestras. The Opera Academy of the Pacific was added in 2005. It prepares the next generation of opera artists and advanced students for a career on the opera stage. The Opera and Symphony programs overlap, allowing the opera school to engage the Symphony Orchestra of the Pacific for the opera. SOAP takes place in the picturesque seaside town of Powell River, 90 miles by air north of Vancouver, BC, Canada. Powell River hangs like a painting on the wall of the West Coast: the perfect setting for music-making. The SOAP Program is designed for experienced musicians who have completed most or all of their formal instruction, and who will benefit from and contribute most to the demanding repertoire of the Opera & Symphony Orchestra of the Pacific. The sole criterion for admission is musical excellence. While there is no age limit, preference is generally shown to those between the ages of 18 and 32. Students take part in master classes, private lessons, audition training, workshops and forums and enjoy the Symphony Orchestra of the Pacific, the Opera, and chamber music concerts by the outstanding faculty and student ensembles.