The Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air was an annual

singing Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

competition sponsored by the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

of New York City for more than two decades. The competition's purpose was to find, encourage, and promote developing young opera singers with promising future careers. Winners of the competition were given a cash prize and the opportunity to perform

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

selections on the radio with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.History of the National Council Auditions
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History

Established in 1935 by newly appointed Met director Edward Johnson, the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air was broadcast live on

NBC Radio The National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (also known as the NBC Red Network from 1927 to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in continuous operation from 1926 through 1999. Along with the NBC Blue Network, it wa ...

. Given the number of contestants, the competition was heard through a series of broadcasts that spanned several weeks. Concerned that the competition was becoming merely a tool for promoting singers in New York City, the Met created the

Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions The Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition (formerly the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions) is an annual singing competition sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera. Established in 1954, its purpose is to discover, assist ...

in 1954 as a means of finding and bringing in talented young opera singers from all across the United States. At this point the competition was sometimes referred to as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions of the Air. The first two winners of the competition were the tenor

Arthur Carron Arthur Carron (12 December 1900 – 10 May 1967) was an English operatic heldentenor. Carron was born in Swindon, United Kingdom. In his early career, he was also known as Arthur Cox which was and remained his given legal name. Career ...

and the contralto , both of which became resident artists at the Met soon after. The competition ceased to operate in 1958, but the Met continues to operate the National Council Auditions.

Notable winners

Martina Arroyo Martina Arroyo (born February 2, 1937) is an American operatic soprano who had a major international opera career from the 1960s through the 1980s. She was part of the first generation of black opera singers to achieve wide success. Arroyo first ...

Grace Bumbry Grace Melzia Bumbry (January 4, 1937 – May 7, 2023) was an American opera singer, considered one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation, who also ventured to soprano roles. She belonged to a pioneering generation of African-American c ...

Marilyn Cotlow Marilyn Rose Cotlow (January 10, 1924 – October 26, 2024) was an American lyric coloratura soprano best remembered for creating the role of Lucy in Gian Carlo Menotti's '' The Telephone'' in both the original Broadway and West End productions. ...

Annamary Dickey Annamary Dickey (April 9, 1911 – June 1, 1999), also known as Annamary Dickey Laue, was an American soprano and actress in operas, operettas, musicals, night clubs, and concerts who had an active performance career from the 1930s through the 1 ...

Frank Guarrera Frank Guarrera (December 3, 1923 – November 23, 2007) was an Italian-American lyric baritone who enjoyed a long and distinguished career at the Metropolitan Opera, singing with the company for a total of 680 performances. He performed 35 differe ...

Mack Harrell Mack Kendree Harrell, Jr. (October 8, 1909 — January 29, 1960) was an American operatic and concert baritone vocalist who was regarded as one of the greatest American-born lieder singers of his generation. Growing up Harrell was born in Ce ...

* Thomas Hayward *William Hargrave *

Margaret Harshaw Margaret Harshaw (May 12, 1909 – November 7, 1997) was an American opera singer and voice teacher who sang for 22 consecutive seasons at the Metropolitan Opera from November 1942 to March 1964. She began her career as a mezzo-soprano in the ear ...

Lansing Hatfield Lansing Hatfield (February 4, 1910 – August 22, 1954) was an American bass-baritone and radio personality who had an active performance career in operas, operettas, musical theatre, musicals, and concerts from mid 1930s until the late 1940s. He i ...

* Lois Hunt * Christine Johnson *An(n)a Kaskas *Arthur Kent *

Robert Merrill Robert Merrill (June 4, 1917 – October 23, 2004) was an American operatic baritone and actor, who was also active in the musical theatre circuit. He received the National Medal of Arts in 1993. Early life Merrill was born Moishe Miller, late ...

Patrice Munsel Patrice Munsel (born Patrice Beverly Munsil; May 14, 1925 – August 4, 2016) was an American coloratura soprano. Nicknamed "Princess Pat", she was the youngest singer ever to star at the Metropolitan Opera. Early years An only child, Patrice ...

Regina Resnik Regina Resnik (born Regina Resnick, August 30, 1922 – August 8, 2013) was an American opera singer who had an active international career that spanned five decades. She began her career as a soprano in 1942 and soon after began a lengthy and ...

Eleanor Steber Eleanor Steber (July 17, 1914October 3, 1990) was an American operatic soprano. Steber is noted as one of the first major opera stars to have achieved the highest success with training and a career based in the United States. Life and career E ...

Maxine Stellman Maxine Elliot Stellman Caruso (May 13, 1906 – June 24, 1972) was an American opera singer, a soprano with the Metropolitan Opera in the 1930s and 1940s. Early life and education Stellman was from Brattleboro, Vermont, the daughter of Wilhelm E ...

Hugh Roderick Thompson Hugh Roderick Thompson, known on the stage as Hugh Thompson, (June 19, 1915 – February 6, 2006) was an American opera singer. He was a leading baritone at the Metropolitan Opera between 1944 and 1953 for 238 performances. In 1967 he moved to C ...

Leonard Warren Leonard Warren (April 21, 1911 – March 4, 1960) was an American operatic baritone who was a leading artist for many years with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Especially noted for his portrayals of the major baritone roles in the opera ...

References

{{Authority control Opera competitions Metropolitan Opera Recurring events established in 1935 Recurring events disestablished in 1958 1935 establishments in New York City 1958 disestablishments in New York (state)