Composing opera doesn't often feature among today's career aspirations.

However, in an age when being famous for 15 minutes has turned into a full-time ambition, Leeds's Oliver Rudland has been quietly honing his skills and next week will realise a lifelong ambition when his opera has its world premiere in his home city.

The Nightingale and the Rose, based on the Oscar Wilde short story, will be performed by Leeds Youth Opera alongside Oliver Carl Orff's rarely staged Carmina Burana at the Carriageworks Theatre, and the 24-year-old admits it would be an ambitious undertaking for even the most established companies.

"We are heading into unexplored territory for young people," says Oliver who is studying for a masters in music at Cambridge University.

"That bold, ambitious approach creates the spark of creativity we hope will really stun audiences. The Nightingale and the Rose as a story lends itself to opera with its satire, sadness, romance and realism.

"For the modern ear, its melodic, lyrical and romantic. For the more serious opera goer, it is a return to the more dramatic approach using method such as a Greek chorus. It's different to what people are used to hearing."

Rudland describes The Nightingale and the Rose, which runs to just 45 minutes, as an acorn from which his career can grow.

"It has both traditional and modern elements," he says. "It's lighter, more English and that is an approach I'd like to develop on a bigger scale. My influences for this have been Puccini, Wagner, Vaughan Williams and Britton."

Youth opera companies are rare. In fact, Leeds Youth Opera is the only one of its kind in the UK. Musical director Michael Williamson says its ethos, built over the last 40 years, has always been daring and innovative.

"We developed over time into a professionally directed group producing everything from operettas to grand opera," he says.

"In recent years, our work has included the modern world premiere of Donizetti's Gianni da Calais and the first Leeds performance of Akhnaten by Philip Glass. Our artistic director Jonathan Clift and I push our performers to the limit to bring the very best out of them. We can assure audiences they will see something different." Michael says that the LYO gives young people, aged 12 to 25, from all backgrounds a lifelong love of music.

"For many young performers, we can provide a platform for a future in music," he adds. "For others, they simply have a wonderful learning experience in a professional performance environment. On average, our members are with us for four years which means they are involved with eight operas. This gives them enormous experience and confidence. Everyone taking part is coached by professional music and artistic directors. We are not about the privileged few and we encourage people from all parts of Leeds to get involved."

One performer, 18-year-old Sophie Levi, is taking on her first lead role playing the nightingale for two nights as well as appearing in the chorus.

"To have a well known and an unknown opera run together is unusual and we hope that will appeal to audiences," she said. "And that is what LYO is all about. Although it is amateur it has a professional approach.

"In the three years I've been with LYO I've been able to work at my singing and really improve it with professional guidance and instruction."

Leeds Youth Opera presents Carmina Burana and The Nightingale and the Rose at the Carriageworks, Leeds from Jul 9-12. Tickets from £15 to £7. For more details visit: www.leedsyouthopera.org.uk