National Opera Association

Vocal Competition

The competition consists of two divisions: Artist, for singers aged 25-40, and Scholarship for singers aged 18-24, as of January 1, 2011.

Final Competition in San Antonio, TX, January 8, 2011

Application deadline is October 15, 2010 for receipt of application. Notification of preliminary results will occur on or about December 10, 2010.

Application Procedure and Submission Information

Contestants must submit:

• A completed online application
• Required entry fee, paid at our secure online payment page (external link) or by money order, bank check, or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover). No personal checks can be accepted.
• Photocopy of legal proof of age
• Headshot and resumé
• CD of two arias from the applicant's repertoire list, with appropriate recitatives and piano accompaniment, recorded after January 1, 2010.  Do not submit mini-disks, video tapes, or recordings with orchestra. The singer's name must NOT appear on the CD, but only on the case or sleeve. Repertoire should be listed on the CD.

Finalists will be chosen based on the recording submitted. Contestants are urged to use the best possible equipment and location for the recording. In the preliminary round, all tapes submitted with completed application and entry fee are entered into competition. Six to twelve singers in each division will be selected by a panel of judges based on tapes submitted to compete as finalists for prizes in live audition before a panel of five judges. Travel expenses to the final competition are the responsibility of the singer. All singers will use the accompanists provided by NOA for the final audition.

Incomplete applications will not be submitted for judging.

Scholarship Division

Eligibility and Fees

• The Scholarship Division is open to singers aged 18-24, as of January 1, 2011, who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs, or their equivalent.
• Entry fee for the Scholarship Division is $25 (twenty-five dollars).

Requirements and Procedures

• Singers in the Scholarship Division must present four opera arias in contrasting styles and periods, in three languages, including one originally in English, at a level appropriate to their vocal development. The audition chair reserves the right to reject unsuitable repertoire.
• One of the four may be a musical theatre selection.
• Entrants will submit a CD including two of the four arias with piano accompaniment, recorded after January 1, 2010 for preliminary judging.
• Finalists will present the judges with all four selections. The singer will choose the first selection, after which the judges will request one or more selections.
• An accompanist will be provided for the finals.

Awards

• The Scholarship Division presents the Nicholas Vrenios Memorial Award, the Constance Eberhardt Memorial Awards, and others, ranging from $500 to $2,000, or more for each winner.
• The American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) grants scholarships for summer study at the AIMS Graz Experience in Austria to the first place winner.

Artist Division

Eligibility and Fees

• The Artist Division is open to singers aged 25-40, as of January 1, 2011.
• Entry fee for the Artist Division is $50 (fifty dollars).

Requirements and Procedures

• Singers in the Artist Division must present five opera arias in contrasting styles and periods, in four languages, including one originally in English. The audition chair reserves the right to reject unsuitable repertoire.
• Musical theatre selections are not permitted in the Artist Division.
• Entrants will submit a CD including two of the five arias with piano accompaniment, recorded after January 1, 2010 for preliminary judging.
• Finalists will present the judges with all five selections. The singer will choose the first selection, after which the judges will request one or more selections.
• An accompanist will be provided for the finals.

Awards

• The Artist Division presents four awards, including the Todd Duncan Legacy Award, the Vrenios Family Award, the Marjorie Gordon Award, the Clifford E. Bair Endowment Award, and other prizes ranging from $500 to $2,000.
• The American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) grants scholarships for summer study at the AIMS Graz Experience in Austria to the first place winner.

Application Submission

1. Complete and submit the online application.
2. Pay the required entry fee on our secure online payment page (external link) (or mail payment)
3. Send the supporting materials to:

Vocal Competition
National Opera Association
PO Box 60869 or 2403 Russell Long Blvd
Canyon, TX 79016-0001

For further information on the competition, please contact the Executive Director at the above address, by e-mail, or at 806-651-2857.