LINCOLN CENTER

The Metropolitan Opera House
The Metropolitan Opera National Finals

https://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/auditions/national-council.aspx

We attended this event last year and immediately said we wanted to return.

I think I've figured out what it takes to win.  All of the finalists have beautiful, well trained voices that hit all the notes.  But, standing on the stage completely alone with a full orchestra in the pit, and then having to sing with your voice and no electronic amplification and "fill the house" is the test.  The Metropolitan Opera House is a huge room.  The ones who did not win had beautiful, well trained voices but they just couldn't create the required sound.  There's a lot of audacity required in thinking a singer can make that much sound.

The house is filled, the tension is thick, and the singing is superb.

 

Since it is a contest with winners and losers, the crowd buzzes between performances and oohs and aahs.  People and we score the singers on our programs as we follow along.  It's fun.

Rafael Moras is from San Antonio and attended St. Mary's University and The University of Texas at San Antonio.

http://www.classicalsinger.com/sites/index.php?pt=1&user_id=98273