Metropolitan Opera Auditions Held in Evanston
January 17, 2012 1:02PM
Nancy Berman of Chicago with chairman of the Central Region Heidi Heutel Bohn of Northfield
EVENT:Metropolitan Opera Auditons
DATE: Nov. 6, 2011
LOCATION: Music Institute of Chicago, Evanston
DINNER: Michigan Shores Club, Wilmette
ATTENDED: 60+
Article Extras
Updated: February 21, 2012 6:10PM
The Metropolitan Opera National Council, Central Region, held its Audition Finals at the Music Institute of Chicago, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, on Nov. 6. This was an opportunity to hear young singers who may be a future Ben Heppner or a Renee Fleming, both of whom were Metropolitan Opera Grand Finalists.
The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions are a nation-wide 15 region vocal competition. The purpose of these auditions is to discover exceptional young talent and to assist young singers in their development.
The Central Region includes Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. Each state is a District in the Central Region and as such each held District auditions in October and the Region’s finalists appeared on Nov. 6 in Evanston. Thus, the audience heard the singers who had advanced from each of the districts’ auditions. The district finals in Evanston was a stellar concert.
Approximately 1,500 singers across the United States audition annually for the National Council Auditions, about 25 are sent to New York as Semi-Finalists with about 10 Semi-Finalists advancing to the Grand Finals Concert. The Grand Finals Concert is on March 18, 2012 in New York and is open to the public.
The audition finalists all receive monetary gifts .The first place winner/winners travel to New York and join other regional finalists from across the country for two weeks of voice training. The culmination of the trip is The Grand Finals Concert on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. The Metropolitan Opera Grand Finalists will each receive $15,000 and the other Metropolitan participants will receive $5,000.
There are ‘open boundaries’ for these auditions. However, a singer may only apply to one region per year and must be between 20-30 years of age. Judges for the competitions are selected from an approved list submitted by The Metropolitan Opera National Council. The 2011 judges are Gayletha Nichols, Executive Director, Metropolitan Opera National Council, Charles L. McKay, Managing Director, New York Festival of Song and international singer, Richard Bernstein.
The 2011 winner of the auditions were in first place, soprano Elizabeth Baldwin and Ryan Center baritone Paul Scholten; in second place baritone Norman Garrett and in third place mezzo Emily Lorini.
Following the concert there was a gala dinner at the Michigan Shores Club with soprano Amber Wagner speaking to the over 60 guests attending. Ms. Wagner will star in Lyric Opera’s Ariadne Auf Naxos this month. Among the dinner guests were Northwest Indiana Symphony Conductor Kirk Muspratt, Betty Fay and Bernard Nusinow of Chicago. From the North Shore were Leah and Edward Reicin of Skokie, Polly and William Cuncannan of Northbrook, Patricia and Tom Leonard of Northfield and Mark George of the Music Institute of Chicago in Evanston. The chairman of the Central Region is Heidi Heutel Bohn of Northfield.
Other members of the committee included WFMT’s Steve Robinson and William Smith of Wilmette, Edward Reicin of Skokie and Patricia Leonard of Northfield.
For further information, please call (312) 266-8729 or see metoperafamily.org/metopera/auditions.
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