Rocky Mountain Region Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions

CO-WY District Utah District RM Region Winners History Links WebMaestro Website created and maintained by Charles L. Ralph Fort Collins, CO

The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Profile The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions program began in Minneapolis/St.Paul in 1954.  The auditions are organized and produced by a network of over 1,500 volunteers in the 45 districts, which are grouped into 15 regions.  The Rocky Mountain Region, established in 1958, includes the Colorado-Wyoming District and the Utah District.  The auditions are a nationwide competition beginning at the district level and culminating in the National Council Grand Finals Concert at The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.  Applicants may choose to enter any district audition, except for the New York District, regardless as to whether they are a resident of the area.  Applicants to the New York District must be residents of the New York City area. District winners must compete in the regional finals of the region in which they were district winners.  The winners from the 16 regions represent their region at the National Semi-Finals in New York, where they will present two arias on the Metropolitan Opera stage accompanied by piano.  Approximately ten of these singers are selected as National Finalists and compete in the National Grand Finals Concert, which is held one week later.  The National Grand Finalists perform two arias each on the stage of The Metropolitan Opera accompanied by the Met Orchestra in the form of a concert.  Up to five equal winners will be chosen and awarded $15,000 each and the remaining Finalists will receive $5,000 each.  National Semi-Finalists not advancing to the Finals each receive $1,500.  The Grand Finals Concert is broadcast nationwide on The Metropolitan Opera Radio Network. Objectives The purpose of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions program is: • To discover exceptional young talent. • To provide a venue for young opera singers from all over the country and at all different levels of experience to be heard by a representative of the Metropolitan Opera and to assist those with the greatest potential in their development. • To identify new talent for the Metropolitan Opera and for possible participants in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Accomplishments More than 75,000 young singers have participated in the auditions over the past 50 years.  Many current and past participants in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program have successfully competed in the National Council Auditions, as have a high percentage of the principal artists on the Metropolitan Opera roster.  Charles Taylor, winner of the 2001 Rocky Mountain Region Auditions was a member of that program.  On average, every season there are over 100 singers on the Met roster that have gone through the auditions program.  Those appearing in major roles at the Met include Renée Fleming, Hei-Kyung Hong, Patricia Racette, Ruth Ann Swenson, Dawn Upshaw, Carol Vaness, Veronica Villarroel, Deborah Voigt, Stephanie Blythe, Susan Graham, Denyce Graves, Jennifer Larmore, Susanne Mentzer, Dolora Zajick, David Daniels, Vinson Cole, Paul Groves, Jerry Hadley, Ben Heppner, Nathan Gunn, Thomas Hampson, Mark Oswald, Paul Plishka, Samuel Ramey and Colorado's Cynthia Lawrence. Eligibility To be eligible to audition: • Applicants for the 2008–09 season must have a birth date on or between August 1, 1978 and July 31, 1988, in order to be eligible to audition. • Applicants must have a voice with operatic potential (exceptional quality, range, projection, communication and natural beauty) as well as musical training and background.  Applicants must be able to sing in more than one language and show artistic aptitude. • Citizens of the United States of America and Canada are eligible to audition.  Foreign applicants must show proof of one-year residency in the area in which they are living or attending school. • The district and region auditions require five arias of the singer's choice consisting of contrasting languages and styles. Application An Application form may be downloaded from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions website or from District contact persons.