See future opera greats before they're famous |
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| See future opera greats before they're famous | |
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by Rod Parke -
SGN Contributing Writer District and Regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, January 25 Nordstrom Recital Hall and Meany Theater For the biggest bang for your operatic buck, you can't do better than these competitions to win the coveted first place prizes, including a contract at the Met. Not only do you get to hear some great voices. You also get the fun of a suspense-filled competition. And you also get a preview of the great artists of the future. People like Renée Fleming, Thomas Hampson, Susan Graham, and Deborah Voigt all got their starts through these auditions. The competitions are lengthy, taking between four and six hours each. First comes the District auditions at Benaroya Hall's Nordstrom Recital Hall, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Of course, you don't have to stick around for the awarding of prizes, but most often you get so invested in your favorites that you just have to stay to see if they won. Tickets are $12 general and $6 seniors and students. Next comes the Regional Auditions (several northwestern states, including Alaska) on Sunday, January 25, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ($15 general and $10 seniors and students). This is the big show at Meany Hall, staring the winners of the earlier District auditions, and with judges from the Met and elsewhere. Each contestant gets to sing at least two arias. They are judged not just on how good they are now, but especially on their potential to grow into the big stars of the opera world. To be sure, there are usually some clinkers, but there are also some truly exciting talents on display. In fact, seeing the lesser contestants is an education about what it takes to be good. Sometimes a great voice is not nearly enough. To make things even more fun, the audience members get to vote also. First prize by the judges is $10,000 plus advancement to the finals in NYC on the Met stage. For more information, check the website: http://nwauditions.com/. |
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