The stars of tomorrow

For the past 60 years, the Metropolitan Opera has sponsored an annual singing competition to search for new young talent.  Auditions are held in different regions of the United States and Canada, giving singers the opportunity to enter the contest locally.  Those who advance from their district auditions move up to compete at the regional level, such as the concert we went to yesterday afternoon at Meany Hall.

Eleven singers under the age of 30 were competing for a place at the national audition in New York at the Metropolitan Opera. This competition is a big deal because it has launched many operatic careers, including stars like Renée Fleming and Spokane's Thomas Hampson.

It was a wet, gloomy Sunday afternoon and a good time to drive up to the UW and sit inside listening to some of the most famous opera arias ever.  Each of the 11 contestants yesterday sang 2 separate arias, one of their choosing and one chosen by the judge.  As you can imagine, this took some time and at the end there was a wait for the judges decisions. But if you love opera and like the drama of live competition, the 3 hour audition is a bargain for a $20 ticket. There's also an "audience choice" award where you pit your ear against the pros and pick the winner, American Idol style. 

There's a interesting PBS documentary film about the audition that shows just how nail-biting it is. We just found out that Michael Fabiano (one of the most intense competitors in the film) will sing Rudolfo in La Boheme when we go to Seattle Opera later this spring.