The Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
Classical music promoter Pro Musica of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, has been named the Mexico organizer for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (MONCA).
The competition gives young opera singers the opportunity to launch major careers and ultimately win US $15,000 in cash prizes.
Auditions in San Miguel will take place on November 8 and a public winners concert will be held two days after.
“Since 1954, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions have been regarded as a major step on the road to an international career in opera. We look forward to hearing the talented singers that Mexico has to offer and hope we will see some of them on the Met stage as a result of our auditions,” said Melissa Wegner, executive director of MONCA.
“Mexico has a vibrant opera history with Mexican stars like the late Oralia Domínguez, Javier Camarena and Ramón Vargas gracing the stage of the world’s great opera houses. That legacy continues today and Pro Musica is honored to be partnering with the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in helping more talented young singers achieve their dreams,” added Michael Pearl, president of the organization.
More than 1,000 opera singers between the ages of 20 and 30 are expected to participate in the 2019 MONCA program, the longest-running singing competition in the United States.
Up to four winners of the San Miguel-Mexico district will each receive $1,500 in prize money and move on to the 2019 Gulf Coast Regional Finals to be held in January in New Orleans.
Past winners include some of the world’s best-known opera stars, among them Renée Fleming, Thomas Hampson, Jessye Norman, and Frederica von Stade. On average, nearly 100 alumni of the National Council Auditions are seen each season in Metropolitan Opera performances.
Throughout the four-stage competition process, members of the Met’s artistic staff and other professionals from the opera world judge the auditions, giving each singer feedback that includes career advice and ideas on future engagements.
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