The Met in Minneapolis? Drop-in on the Met Opera Regional Auditions this Saturday

Join some of your fellow Tempo opera-phites anytime between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2:30 this Saturday, December 3 at the McKnight Theatre in the Ordway Center for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Auditions. Different auditions will be taking place during this time-span, and you are free to come and go as you please!

What are the Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Auditions? They are the preliminary rounds for the National Council Auditions that will lead to fame, success and glory. Many of the world’s foremost singers, among them Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Ben Heppner, Jessye Norman, Samuel Ramey, Frederica von Stade, Deborah Voigt and Dolora Zajick have received awards from the National Council. Annually, approximately 100 former auditioners appear in Metropolitan Opera productions. For more information on the auditions, visit: http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/auditions/national/index.aspx

Special appearances from friends of Minnesota Opera will take place at 11:05, 11.25, 12:25 and 12:45.

11:05AM- Victoria Vargas, mezzo soprano – Victoria is a resident artist with Minnesota Opera and a featured performer at Opera Tasting 2011.

11:25AM- Angela Mortellaro, soprano – Angela is a resident artist with Minnesota Opera and was featured this season as Despina in Cosi fan tutte and Madeleine in Silent Night.

12:25PM- Rudolfo Nieto, bass baritone – Rudy was a resident artist with Minnesota Opera during the 09-10 and 10-11 seasons, as well as a featured performer at OT 2011.

12:45PM- Brad Benoit, tenor – Brad was a resident artist with Minnesota Opera during the 08-09, 09-10 and 10-11 seasons, as well as a featured performer at OT 2011. If you attended opening night of Silent Night, you will remember Brad’s brilliant tenor voice filling in for a sick William Burden.

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10 Questions with Eric McEnaney

Meet Eric McEnaney, Resident Artist (coach/accompanist)

1. What is your sign?
LEO, though very few people guess that about me!

2. What is your favorite opera?
It's a toss-up between Madama Butterfly and Don Giovanni.

3. If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?
I would love to be a travel agent or chef.

4. What is your favorite dessert?
The tres leches cake at 112 Eatery--amazing!

5. If you had to describe yourself using three words, what would they be?
Fun-loving, focused, spiritual

6. What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving

7. What was your first opera?
Cosi fan tutte

8. If they made a movie of your life, what would it be about and which actor would you want to play you?
It would be about learning to trust my instincts as an artist and I would want Tobey Maguire or Michael Cera to play me!

9. Are you a morning or night person?
Definitely a night person.

10. What’s your favorite thing to do in the winter?
Sit inside, under a blanket and read a good book.

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10 Questions with Clinton Smith

Meet Clinton Smith, Resident Artist (assistant conductor)

1. What is your sign?
Capricorn - a big one

2. What is your favorite opera?
Too early to tell - I've only worked on/conducted around thirty operas, so there are so many more to discover.

3. If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?
Good question - I used to be a huge computer nerd, in fact, I applied to nine schools as a computer science major, but changed my major to Piano at orientation, much to my father's horror.

4. What is your favorite dessert?
Apple pie

5. If you had to describe yourself using three words, what would they be?
Musical, Resourceful, and Dedicated

6. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas.

7. What was your first opera?
The first opera I bought on CD is kind of obscure - it's the Phillips recording of Mozart's Il Re Pastore - I was captivated, and this was years before I actually saw my first opera. That happened to be Aida at the Met when I was in NYC with my high school orchestra in April of 1998 playing at Carnegie Hall.

8. If they made a movie of your life, what would it be about and which actor would you want to play you?
The movie could be about pursuing a dream, making opportunities for oneself, never giving up, and finding your passion.

9. Are you a morning or night person?
Definitely a night person - my whole family is. When we get together it's not abnormal for us to all stay up, grandma included, until well after 2am drinking and talking.

10. What’s your favorite thing to do in the winter?
Stay warm! I'm from the beach in Texas - it gets COLD here.

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10 Questions with Victoria Vargas

Meet Victoria Vargas, Resident Artist (mezzo-soprano)

1. What is your sign?
Pisces

2. What is your favorite opera?
A toss up between Carmen and La Traviata

3. If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?
Social Worker

4. What is your favorite dessert?
Cake...anything cake related.

5. If you had to describe yourself using three words, what would they be?
Witty, Fun, Accepting

6. What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving

7. What was your first opera?
Cosi fan tutte

8. If they made a movie of your life, what would it be about and which actor would you want to play you?
The movie of my life would involve many well placed one liners and quirky encounters and I would love to played by Bette Midler.

9. Are you a morning or night person?
I'd like to think I am a morning person, but alas - a night person all the way.

10. What's your favorite thing to do in the winter?
I love walking around while it's snowing and the temperature is just the right amount of cold while drinking hot chocolate and/or making snow angels!

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