LOCAL:
Opera Theater &
WQED Present:

OPERA CHAMPION OF PITTSBURGH

Information

We're looking for raw talent to star in an opera onstage and on TV! This competition is for local amateurs (no professionals may apply) of all ages who have a burning desire to sing on stage. Ultimately, the Opera Champion will perform onstage in a solo role surrounded by professional opera singers in Opera Theater's 2012 Summer Festival! WQED TV will follow the competition from the preliminary rounds to the final rounds, culminating in the Summer Festival's opening night performance. For a downloadable competition poster, click HERE.

Prize

You win the Drs. Michelina Fato and Carl Snyderman $1,000 prize and a solo role in an Opera Theater Summer Festival Production in June 2012. You also win free private voice lessons and coaching sessions for six months, followed by stage training and rehearsals leading up to your opening night. WQED TV cameras will record the competition from auditions through first performance. You will star onstage and on screen!

Who Chooses the Winner?

Semi-finalists will be chosen by online voting through Opera Theater's Facebook Page. Opera Theater will then select 3 finalists and a live audience will decide the winner at the final concert on Saturday, October 29th.

Eligibility

• Non-professional amateurs only. (Amateurs are defined as those whose primary source of income is outside the performing arts. Full-time voice or musical theater college students are not considered amateurs, and should apply to the Mildred Miller International Voice Competition.)
• All ages!
• Residency must be within 50 mile radius of Pittsburgh.

Repertoire Requirements

Candidates must present one operatic aria and one song in English or a language of their choosing. Applicants should be prepared to sing each piece in its entirety, though the judging panel may choose to hear a portion of the music.

Dates

• Preliminary Audition Rounds (Pick One):
  • October 14, 2011, 7:00-9:45pm: WQED Studio, Shadyside
  • October 17, 2011, 7:00-9:45pm: Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, East Liberty
  • October 18, 2011, 7:00-9:45pm: Opera Theater Offices, Lawrenceville
  • October 20, 2011, 7:00-9:45pm: Opera Theater Offices, Lawrenceville
• Semi-final Round: October 27, 2011, 6:00-10:00pm: Carnegie Mellon University, Mellon Institute Auditorium 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (Entrance is via Bellefield Street, not Fifth Avenue).
• Final Round/Competition Gala: October 29, 2011, 7:00-11:00pm: Carnegie Mellon University, Mellon Institute Auditorium 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (enter via Bellefield Street).

All contestants must agree, as a condition of their application, that their performance may be filmed and broadcast live or at a later date, in whole or in part, by WQED TV, Opera Theater, or their designated associates, and may be used subsequently for development, publicity and promotion purposes.