Efrain Solis takes first place in Metropolitan Opera western regional audition

Baritone Efrain Solis ’11, a graduate of the Conservatory of Music in the College of Performing Arts, has won the Western Regional Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Solis now advances to the National Semi-Finals, a competition to be held on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in March 2013.  Several semi-finalists are selected from that audition as National Finalists. The finalists compete the following Sunday in a public concert, the Grand Finals Concert, accompanied by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

The jury awards approximately five Grand Winner awards of $15,000 each. The concert is broadcast nationwide on the Metropolitan Opera Radio Network. The remaining National Finalists receive $5,000 each, and those singers who were National Semi-Finalists but did not advance to the National Finals will be given $1,500 to further their studies.

Many of the world’s foremost singers, among them Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Ben Heppner, Jessye Norman, Samuel Ramey, Frederica von Stade, Deborah Voigt and Dolora Zajick have received awards from the National Council. Annually, approximately 100 former contestants appear in Metropolitan Opera productions.

The
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
is a program designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers. The auditions are held annually in thirteen Regions of the United States and Canada. There are forty Districts within these Regions, each providing an opportunity for talented singers to enter the Auditions Program at the local level. The Auditions are administered by National Council members and volunteers in each region.