Metropolitan Opera District Auditions
2011-2012 Season Kentucky District Auditions
Kentucky District Competition Date:
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Time: 10:00 am
Place: Memorial Hall, University of KY, Lexington, KY
Application deadline: Monday, November 14, 2011
Only the first 30 applications will be accepted
Application fee is $30
Checks should be made payable to
Lexington Opera Society and mailed to:
Dr. Clifton Smith
177 Burt Road
Lexington, KY 40503
Judges:
-Anthony Laciura
-Johanna Meier
-Sherrill Milnes
The prize money of $7,500 will be divided equally among the winners as chosen by the judges, although no single winner will receive more than $2,500.In addition, the Gail Robinson District Encouragement Award of $500 will be granted.
Sherrill Milnes will conduct a Master Class on
Sunday, November 20, at 2:00 pm at Memorial Hall.
Metropolitan Opera Auditioners will be given
preferential opportunity to participate.
FOR RULES, REGULATIONS, ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS,
DOWNLOADABLE APPLICATION
AND THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT
THE MET WEBSITE!
OR
E-mail:
ncouncil@metopera.org
National Council Auditions Application
Please include photo (headshot) or forward via e-mail (preferred)
The purpose of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions program, established in 1953, is to provide a venue for young opera singers from all over the United States and all different levels of experience to be heard by a representative of the Metropolitan Opera, to discover new talent for the Metropolitan Opera, and to search for possible participants in the Lindemann Young Artists Development Program. This Metropolitan Opera program was designed in 1980 for the purpose of nurturing the most talented young artists through training and performance opportunities. The program provides financial aid together with closely supervised artistic direction, led by a team of experienced administrators and prominent artists at the Met.
Applicants must be prepared to sing a minimum of five operatic arias in their original language and key. Selections should demonstrate contrasting style as well as languages. After each audition program, candidates are given the opportunity to meet with the judges personally to discuss matters of evaluation and advice, an aspect of these auditions that makes them unique.
The annual auditions start at the district level and contestants may choose to compete in any district regardless of their place of residence. There is no set number of singers to advance, but typically two to four winners from each district compete in the regionals. Approximately 1,500 singers participate each year in sixteen regions across the country. The first place regional winners go on to the National Council Auditions Semi-Finals in New York the following spring. Eight to ten singers are selected as the National Finalists and perform in the Winners Concert on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera.
2010 Results:
The Metropolitan Opera National Council Kentucky District Auditions were held on Saturday, November 20, 2010 at Memorial Hall on the campus of the University of Kentucky. The judges were Danielle Orlando, William J. Powers and Samuel Ramey.
Twenty-five students competed, and the judges selected four winners to compete in the Mid-South Regional Auditions in Memphis, TN:
- Holly Flack, soprano, a masters student at the University of Kentucky,
- Ursula Kuhar, mezzo-soprano, a doctoral student at Indiana University,
- Reginald Smith, Jr., baritone, a bachelor's degree student at the University of Kentucky, and
- Andrea Trusty, soprano, a master's student at Rice University.
The four winners equally shared the $7,500 winners' prize money.
Mary-Hollis Hundley, soprano, pursuing her bachelor's degree at the University of Kentucky, received the $500 Encouragement Award.
On Sunday, November 21, Samuel Ramey taught a public master class.
2009 Results
The Kentucky District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, held on November 14, 2009 at Memorial Hall in Lexington, KY were judged by Douglas Almsted, Richard Best and Carol Vaness. Four winners were selected:
Eric Brown, baritone, age 29, lives in Lexington, KY and is a Doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky.
Jeremy Parker, soprano, age 23, lives in Cincinnati, OH and is pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Paulette Maria Penzvalto, mezzo-soprano, age 28, lives in Avon OH and is pursuing private study at Oberlin Conservatory, Oberlin, OH.
R. Kenneth Stavert, baritone, age 25, lives in Cincinnati, OH and is pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music.
The winners of the Kentucky District Auditions will advance to the Tri-State Regional Auditions on January 16, 2010 in Indianapolis, IN. The Regional winners will travel to the Semi-Finals on March 7, 2010 in New York. The Grand Finals Winner Concert on the Met stage, scheduled for March 14, 2010, is open to the public; and the singers will be accompanied by the Met Orchestra.
In addition, the judges awarded the Encouragement Award to Holly Flack, soprano, age 22. She lives in Lexington, KY and is pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Kentucky.
Link to media coverage of 2009 Kentucky District Auditions
National Council Staff:
Gayletha Nichols, Executive Director
Melanie Rosa, Assistant Director
Camille LaBarre, National Chairman
Joseph Barnett, President
Frederica von Stade, National Advisor
Tri-State Region Chairman:
Arthur Caspar
Kentucky District Director:
Dr. Clifton Smith
Related Site:
Kentucky District Auditions
www.kydistrictauditions.org
