Dallas Opera Announces Application Acceptance for Guild Vocal Competition, 9/15

DALLAS, TX, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015 - The Dallas Opera is pleased to announce that applications for the expanded and revised Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, scheduled to take place on Friday, April 29, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. (Semi-Final Round) and Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. (Finals Round) will be accepted beginning tomorrow - Tuesday, September 15, 2015 - through Saturday, November 21, 2015.

Applications MUST be submitted via YAP Tracker, along with a $35 entry fee: https://www.yaptracker.com/applications/dallas-opera-guild-2016.

Those chosen by preliminary round judges to advance to the Semifinals Round in the acoustically acclaimed Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center will be notified on February 2, 2016.

Competitors in the critically acclaimed 2015 Competition took home prize monies totaling $18,500. Although this competition has as its primary focus, artists in the 18 to 34 age range, singers of any age may apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, historically, has been focused on young artists with Texas roots or Lone Star academic connections, and its many distinguished alumni include luminaries from throughout the opera world: Latonia Moore, Clifton Forbis, Marjorie Owens, Weston Hurt, Steven LaBrie, Amanda Woodbury, Jesus Garcia and most recently Anthony Clark Evans.

As the competition sought to gain even greater prominence and significance, The Dallas Opera and The Dallas Opera Guild made two significant changes last year, prompting Dallas Morning News Classical Music Critic Scott Cantrell to write that the competition had "considerably upped its ante":

· In order to attract the most talented applicant pool with the greatest potential, the eligibility criteria for applicants changed. Today, it is open to residents of all 50 states and U.S. Territories.

· The Finals Round, taking place on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Winspear Opera House, will be accompanied by The Dallas Opera Orchestra, conducted by TDO's acclaimed Music Director, Emmanuel Villaume. Up to six finalists will participate, singing two arias each.

The impact of these changes was immediately perceived. Senior Classical Music Critic Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of theaterjones.com wrote: "The results surely exceeded expectations for this newly re-envisioned competition...It won't take long to situate itself at the top of such events and become an important gold star on any young artist's résumé."

Judges for the expanded 28th Annual Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition will be drawn from distinguished performers and opera administrators and will also include General Director & CEO Keith Cerny, Music Director Emmanuel Villaume and TDO Artistic Administrator Ian Derrer.

The Dallas Opera is very pleased to announce the return of renowned arts administrator, educator and adjudicator Dr. Brian Zeger as Chair of the Judges Panel for the 2016 Vocal Competition. On the faculty of The Juilliard School since 1993 and Artistic Director of Vocal Arts at Juilliard since 2004, Dr. Zeger is also the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

A polished broadcast professional and frequent guest on the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts, Dr. Zeger has also contributed critical essays for publications such as Opera News, Chamber Music Magazine and The Yale Review. He has participated in countless summer festivals: Ravinia, Santa Fe, Caramoor, Aldeburgh and Aspen, as well as the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival where he served as artistic director from 1993-2000. This native New Yorker has also adjudicated the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Concert Artists Guild Auditions and the Walter W. Naumberg Vocal Competition.

Commented General Director & CEO Keith Cerny: "The Guild Competition took a bold step forward last year and the result was electrifying! Emmanuel Villaume and The Dallas Opera Orchestra brought a tangible level of excitement to these performances and clearly inspired the finalists to do their absolute best.

"I'm quite certain that this year's competition will bring a whole new set of challenges and give us new opportunities to build on our previous success. Working closely with Dr. Brian Zeger, our esteemed adjudicators, and the Guild, we are well on our way to creating an event that attracts the very finest young singers of this generation."

The "powerhouse jury" -- the judges for the upcoming 2016 competition -- already includes:

Judges for the 2016 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition:

Brian Zeger, Chair

Artistic Director of Juilliard's Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts and Executive Director for the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera

Keith Cerny

General Director and CEO, The Dallas Opera

Emmanuel Villaume

Music Director, The Dallas Opera

Ian Derrer

Artistic Administrator, The Dallas Opera

Aidan Lang

General Director, Seattle Opera

Leonore Rosenberg

Associate Artistic Administrator, The Metropolitan Opera

Joshua Winograde

Senior Director of Artistic Planning, Los Angeles Opera

Diane Zola

Director of Artistic Administration, Houston Grand Opera

Dallas Opera Guild Co-President Jana Irwin explained that "the life of The Dallas Opera Guild revolves around this annual competition, because all of us feel so strongly about the need to support the future of opera. Greater prominence within the music industry can only translate into greater benefits for those lucky enough to be selected to participate, making this a win-win situation for all concerned."

Dallas Opera Guild 2016 Vocal Competition Chair Ketty Fitzgerald explains that "the ultimate goal - now and always - is to serve the artists and this art form by creating a showcase for their talents that will help to advance their careers. We are equally dedicated to providing financial assistance (with no strings attached) allowing the singer to determine exactly how that money should be spent. In short, we give them room to breathe."