Twenty-five aspiring opera singers from around San Diego will take the stage at Point Loma Nazarene University on Nov. 14, each hoping a performance can launch them toward the Metropolitan Opera. The San Diego District auditions run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Crill Hall, with a ceremony scheduled for about 4 p.m.
The competition is the local heat of the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The contest was formerly known as the Met's National Council Auditions.
A Local Tradition With National Stakes
The Metropolitan Opera National Council has sponsored the competition since 1954, according to KPBS. Contestants who impress the judges do more than win a trophy: the district champion moves on to the Western Regional finals, set for Feb. 14, 2027, at Zipper Hall in Los Angeles, where they'll face winners from the Los Angeles and San Francisco districts. From there, the path leads to the national semifinals at the Metropolitan Opera on March 14, 2027, where regional winners compete, culminating in the National Grand Finals concert on March 21, 2027.
San Diego's Recent Track Record
The region has already produced a national winner. Sarah Saturnino took first place in San Diego's 2022 district auditions before going on to become one of six national winners in the 2023 Laffont Competition, the Union-Tribune reported at the time.
The Union-Tribune's report also notes that the broader Laffont Competition has produced winners including Lawrence Brownlee, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Jessye Norman, Samuel Ramey, Deborah Voigt and Frederica von Stade — a roster that spans decades of the competition's history since its founding in 1954.
How Big Is the Field, Really?
The competition includes 39 districts.
The 2022 San Diego auditions were held in La Jolla and were, like this year's event, free and open to the public without registration, according to a listing from KPBS.
What to Know Before Heading to Point Loma
This year's audition is free to attend, and organizers say the public is welcome to drop in for an hour or stay for the entire day. Point Loma Nazarene University offers free parking, and while there's no cost to attend, organizers say donations supporting the competition program are appreciated. Crill Hall is located at 3900 Lomaland Drive in San Diego, and more information on the competition is available at moncsd.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/molcsd.
