The Metropolitan Opera National Council (MONC) Auditions, Georgia District

The Metropolitan Opera National Council held the Georgia District auditions on Saturday, November 21, 2015. Twenty-nine singers, ages 20 to 30, competed.

The judges awarded three First Place prizes and two Encouragement Awards. Winners are pictured left to right:

• Stephen McCluskey, 22, bass-baritone, Encouragement Award
• Alan Higgs, 28, bass-baritone, First Place
• Amanda Opuszynski, 28, soprano, First Place
• Nicholas Yaquinto, 22, baritone, First Place
• Esther Tonea, 21, soprano, Encouragement Award

Opera Guild for Atlanta members greeted guests and offered information about The Opera Guild. Pictured left to right are President Bill Snyder, Secretary Ellena Hogrefe, and Board member Sara Frooman.

Ann Hayes, Mike Lorton, Kathleen Farrar Buccleugh, Victoria Blakeney, Eleanor Strain

The judges listened to two arias per contestant, selected the winners, and offered individual feedback to each singer. Pictured left to right are:

• Keith A. Wolfe, General Director of Opera Birmingham
• Michael Heaston, Director of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, Advisor to the Artistic Director at Washington National Opera, and Associate Director of The Glimmerglass Festival
• Esther Tonea, 21, soprano, Encouragement Award winner
• Christina Howell, Co-Director of the MONC Georgia District Auditions
• Stephen McCluskey, 22, bass-baritone, Encouragement Award winner
• Melissa Wegner, Associate Director of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
• Bradley Howard, MONC Southeast Region Auditions Director
• Margaret Talmadge Howell, MONC Southeast Region Chairman
• Alexis Lundy, Co-Director of the MONC Georgia District Auditions

The Opera Guild for Atlanta thanks the judges Keith A. Wolfe, Michael Heaston, and Melissa Wegner for their contribution; and MONC Georgia District Co-Directors Christina Howell and Alexis Lundy for planning such a wonderful event!