Why compete?

Benefits of the Competition:

  1. To hear from professionals in the business. There are three judges at every live round of the Competition chosen from a selected list of professionals in the business. The judges are available to you following the competition for feedback, so that you might ask questions and hear their professional opinions about your presentation that day.
  2. To assess your vocal development. The best way to improve at auditioning is to sing more auditions. The Laffont Competition provides an opportunity to professionally audition and get a better idea of how your skills compare to the other singers of the day. We encourage singers to sit in and observe the live auditions to get a full picture of the vocal talent.
  3. To advance professionally. The judges for the Met Competition are part of a larger network of industry professionals. Many of them are in a position to recommend you for work or advanced training programs. The Competition can go beyond one day of singing and open doors for the future.

If you're thinking of applying, please remember the following:

Our District and Region auditions require four operatic arias in two or more languages of varying styles that best represent you at your current stage of vocal development. An in-depth knowledge of language, style, and musicianship is essential for a successful operatic audition, however music degrees and references are not required.

You may audition for the Competition only once per season. There are no geographic restrictions to which District you can register; you do not need to be from or reside in a specific area to sing in that competition. District winners must compete in the Region Finals of the Region in which they were District winners. Please review the eligibility requirements for more information.

Because singers select their District of choice, there will be certain unavoidable instances when a panel includes a judge with a connection to one or more contestants. While we work to avoid this situation, please be assured that judges are required to recuse themselves from deliberations about singers with whom they have previously worked.