The Search for the Next Great Opera Star Comes to Cincinnati January 17 & 18

As part of a nationwide contest to identify the next generation of opera stars, the

Metropolitan Opera National Council

will hold two rounds of local opera auditions on

Jan. 17 and 18, 2009

, at the

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM)

. The general public is invited to join the live audience and admission is free.

Established in 1953, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions is an annual program designed to discover promising young opera singers from the United States and Canada and to assist in the development of their careers. Competition begins at the district level and culminates in the National Council Grand Finals in New York City, where National Finalists have the opportunity to perform in the Winners Concert on the Metropolitan Opera stage.

Local competition begins on Saturday, Jan. 17 with the Southern Ohio District auditions in CCM's Werner Recital Hall, where singers compete for cash prizes and the chance to advance to the regional level of competition. Winners from the Southern Ohio District auditions then join singers from the Kentucky and Indiana Districts at the Tri-State Region competition on Sunday, Jan. 18, to be held in CCM's Corbett Auditorium. Those who succeed at the regional level advance to the national competition, to be held in Feb. 2009 in New York. Past national winners include such opera luminaries as Deborah Voigt, Renee Fleming, Stephanie Blythe, Dolora Zajick, Ben Heppner, Thomas Hampson and Samuel Ramey.

Winners are determined by a panel of judges composed of opera industry professionals: Roger Pines, dramaturg at Lyric Opera of Chicago; Danielle Orlando, opera coach with the Curtis Institute of Music and Academy of Vocal Arts (Philadelphia); Michael Egel, artistic administrator for the Des Moines Metro Opera; and Gayletha Nichols, executive director of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

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Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
Event Details

Saturday, Jan. 17 | 10:00 a.m.
Southern Ohio District Auditions
Werner Recital Hall, CCM Village
Audience Admission: FREE

Sunday, Jan. 18 | 1 p.m.
Tri-State Region Auditions
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
Audience Admission: FREE

Directions and Parking:
CCM is located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Parking is available in the CCM garage (at the base of Corry Boulevard, off Jefferson Avenue) and in additional garages around the UC campus. Please visit the CCM Web site for additional directions and parking information: www.ccm.uc.edu.