Further explanation

I did something in my last post that I have been trying really hard not to do in this blog: assume non-singers know about dorky singer stuff. I totally didn't explain the Met auditions, so I'm going to remedy that right now!

First of all, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions aren't really auditions per se - it's really a competition. Unlike an audition, which singers do to try to get a job, the purpose of a competition is to encourage talented young singers with cash prizes and sometimes helpful comments on their performances by the judges, who are opera professionals. Winning competitions also adds a little prestige (or padding, depending on how you look at it), to a singer's resume.

The Met auditions are sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera National Council, which is basically a volunteer organization made up of donors and patrons of the arts. Their website states that the auditions serve to "discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers." The prizes are donated by philanthropists throughout the country, including regional opera guilds and private donors. Any singer who meets the eligibility requirements (between the ages of 20 and 30, US citizen, five arias in contrasting languages, demonstrate operatic potential, possess musical training) may compete in the district auditions.

There are forty-five districts within fifteen regions. Each district may send up to three winners to the regional level (but they do not have to send three - it is often only one or two), and one winner from each region moves on to the semi-final round in New York. Approximately ten singers are then chosen to compete in the final round, and up to five singers may be awarded grand prizes. At the district level, there are also encouragement awards and there may be various other donated awards. The amount of prize money varies greatly from district to district, and some singers decide where they want to compete based on the potential amount of prize money available.

Basically, it's just a competition, and it's nice to be able to win a little money to pay for the ever-mounting expenses of weekly voice lessons, paying a pianist several times a month for coaching and rehearsal, recording costs for audition applications, audition application fees, head shots, travel and lodging for auditions, proper clothing for auditions, music scores, and -- oh yeah -- the fee to enter the competition in the first place!

Have I skipped over something else I should have explained? Feel free to ask more questions in the comments section!