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Vocal Competition

Congralations to the 2013 winners

Congratulations to all finalists who competed in Portland, OR, in January 2013.  Click here to see the list of 2013 winners.

January, 2014, New York, NY - $8,500 in prizes to be awarded

The National Opera Association Vocal Competition is conducted annually in two divisions: The Artist Division and the Scholarship Division. Preliminary auditions are heard by recording. Twelve finalists and two alternates are selected in the Artist Division and six to eight finalists and two alternates are selected in the Scholarship Division to compete in a live final audition. The final auditions will be heard at the National Opera Center in NYC on Saturday, January 11, 2014.

Please note online application is not yet open, but will open by August 1.  Please check back then to apply.

• The Scholarship Division is open to singers aged 18-24, as of January 11, 2014 who are currently enrolled in, or have completed since May 1, 2013, undergraduate or graduate programs, or their equivalent. Entry fee for the Scholarship Division is $25 (twenty-five dollars).
• The Artist Division is open to singers aged 25-40, as of January 11, 2014. Entry fee for the Artist Division is $50 (fifty dollars).
• There are no residency or citizenship requirements. The competition is open to all singers who meet the criteria for the appropriate division.

Application Procedure and Submission Information

• Applications to the competition are submitted using the online application form (application will open by August 1). The deadline for submission of the online application is October 15, 2013. The required materials to be submitted by mail must be RECEIVED by October 18, 2013. Applicants may pay the entry fee online using the secure online payment area (external link), or by money order submitted with the required materials. NO PERSONAL CHECKS.
  Links:
  • Online application form (application will open by August 1).
  • Secure online payment area (external link)
• To complete the application, the contestant must submit the following materials by mail:
  • a CD of two arias from the competition repertoire listed on the application, including appropriate recitatives, with piano accompaniment recorded after January 1, 2013. Finalists are chosen based on the recording submitted. Do not submit DVDs or recordings with orchestra. The singer's name must NOT appear on the CD, but only on the case or sleeve. Repertoire must be listed on the CD label.
  • copy of legal proof of age,
  • a resume and photo,
  • a money order for required fee, or a copy of the receipt of online payment. The fee is non-refundable.
• Incomplete applications will not be processed and CDs will not be submitted for judging.
• Supporting materials should be addressed to:

• Notification of finalists will be made on or before December 5, 2013. Contestants not chosen as finalists may receive notification after December 5. All notifications will be sent by email, so a valid email address is essential, as well as a mailing address that will be accurate for the month of December.
• Contestants are urged to use the best possible equipment and location for the recording, and to verify that their CDs are playable in ordinary stereo equipment. In the preliminary round, all CDs submitted with completed application and entry fee are entered for adjudication by a panel of judges.

Requirements and Final Competition 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 an operetta or musical theatre selection.
• 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. One of the five may be an operetta aria, but musical theatre selections are not permitted in the Artist Division.
• Preliminary and semi-final rounds of adjudication are heard by a panel of three judges and finalists are chosen based on recordings submitted. Finalists compete for prizes in a live audition before a panel of three distinguished judges.
• Travel expenses to the final competition are the responsibility of the singer.
• Finalists in each division will present the judges with all required selections. The singer will choose the first selection, after which the judges may request one or more additional selections. Changes in repertoire must be approved by the audition chairs by December 31. No changes are permitted after that date. Finalists will use accompanists provided by the competition.
• Prize winners will be announced immediately following the competition. The winners will be presented in a winners’ recital and receive their awards at the Legacy Awards Banquet Saturday evening.

Awards

Singers in the Scholarship Division compete for three awards: the Nicholas Vrenios Memorial Award of $2000 to the first-place winner, the Constance Eberhardt Memorial Award for second place, and the Clifford Bair Memorial Award for third place, both ranging from $500 to $1250.

Singers in the Artist Division compete for three awards: the Todd Duncan Legacy Award to the first-place winner, the Vrenios Family Award to the second place winner and the Marjorie Gordon Award to the third place winner. These and other possible prizes range from $500 to $2500.

The American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) grants scholarships for summer study at the AIMS Graz Experience in Austria to the first place winner in each category.

In addition to the above, the Legacy Award of $500 is presented to an outstanding contestant of racial or ethnic minority, at the discretion of the judges.

Questions

Questions regarding the competition may be addressed to:
Barbara Hill-Moore, competition chair, at or (214) 768-3580, or to
Robert Hansen, Executive Director, at or by calling 806-651-2857.