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UK Senior Takes Second at Met Regionals
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 31, 2013) — University of Kentucky voice performance senior Rebecca Farley placed second in the Metropolitan (Met) Opera National Council Mid-South Regional Auditions held Jan. 26, in Memphis, Tenn.
Farley, a soprano, was a winner in the Kentucky District Auditions of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, held at UK’s Memorial Hall Nov. 17, 2012. This sent her to the next level of the competition where she competed against more than 80 singers from four districts within the Mid-South Region.
"I feel so honored to have placed. It reassured me that I'm going in the right direction and that there is a place for my singing in this world," Farley said. "Competing at this level is incredibly exciting for me. I was the youngest competitor and am thrilled the judges have faith in my talents and skills. It's so rewarding getting praise and encouragement from representatives of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. I can't wait to refine my singing and try for the semi-finals next year."
Farley, a native of Henderson, Ky., was one of three UK sopranos who sang the role of Christine in UK Opera Theatre’s blockbuster production of "The Phantom of the Opera" in October and winner of the Advanced Women Division of the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition later that same month. Farley is the student of Endowed Chair, Professor of Voice Cynthia Lawrence,
The highly acclaimed UK Opera Theatre program is part of the UK School of Music at the UK College of Fine Arts. For more information on the program, visit online at http://finearts.uky.edu/music/ukot.
The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions program provides a venue for young opera singers from all over the U.S. to be heard by a representative of the Met. Applicants prepare a minimum of five operatic arias in their original language; selections must demonstrate contrasting style as well as languages. Upon completing the audition, candidates are given the opportunity to meet with the judges personally to discuss matters of evaluation and advice.
The Met holds the auditions to discover new talent and to search for possible participants in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. The Lindemann program, designed to nurture the most talented young artists through training and performance opportunities, provides financial aid together with supervised artistic direction to the young artists.
The district level is the first stage of the three-tiered audition process, and contestants can choose to compete in any district regardless of their place of residence. There is no set number of singers to advance to compete in the regional with roughly 1,500 singers participating each year in the 16 regions across the country. Regional finals for this area include participants from the Kentucky, Arkansas, Middle/East Tennessee, North Alabama and West Tennessee/Mississippi districts. Winners at the regional level advance to the National Council Auditions Semi-Finals in New York in the spring. Only eight to 10 singers are selected as national finalists and perform in the Winners Concert at the Met.
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, (859) 257-8716 or whitney.hale@uky.edu
