Canadian Soprano Simone Osbourne
Canadian Opera Singer Wins National Council Prize in NYC at the Met
Five Grand Prize Finalists won $15,000 each at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions on Sunday, February 24. One of these was Canadian Simone Osbourne.
While many people were preparing to watch the Oscars on Sunday, February 24, nine young opera singers from across the country were in New York City competing in the final round of the lucrative Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Having advanced at the local and regional level, these nine aspiring singers were the top Finalists remaining from 1,500 original contestants.
The Contestants: Up-and-coming Students from the United States and Canada
When the judges' final decisions were made, Canadian Simone Osbourne took home one of the five Grand Prizes valued at $15,000. The youngest winner and only Canadian Finalist at the 2008 Auditions, the 21-year-old soprano Simone Osbourne is currently a student at the University of British Columbia. She has sung with the UBC Opera and the North Bohemian Opera and last year (2007) won the International Czech and Slovak Voice Competition.
Other Grand Prize Finalists were from all over the United States, and represented a diverse range of universities:
• Tenor René Barbera of San Antonio, Texas. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Music at North Carolina School of the Arts and will participate in San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program this summer.
• Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson of St. Louis, Missouri. She is finishing her second year as a graduate student at Houston's Rice University.
• Mezzo-soprano Daveda Karanas of Mandeville, Louisiana. She is a first-year Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera Center.
• Baritone Edward Parks of Indiana, Pennsylvania. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Music at Yale University.
The Grand Prize Finalist performances were recorded and will be aired on public radio stations across the country. Listeners should check their local listings for exact times and dates.
The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions: A Helping Hand For Opera Talent
For the aspiring opera singer, participating in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions is perhaps one of the best ways to get a foot in the door. Not only is the contest held to discover and award young talent, but also to recruit singers for the Metropolitan Opera itself. Even if a singer doesn't win one of the five Grand Prizes, the Met still uses about 100 competition singers in its productions a year.
The competition was founded in 1954 and over 50 years later is still connecting with and nurturing young talent. Former National Council Auditions winners include Renée Fleming, Deborah Voigt and Susan Graham.
Sources
"Vancouver Soprano Among Winners at Met Opera Auditions." CBC News.
"The Metropolitan Opera Announces 2008 National Council Auditions Winners." The Metropolitan Opera.
National Council Auditions website.
