Montclair State and Opera New Jersey Announce Fourth Annual Curtain Call Award Competition

For the fourth year, Montclair State University and Opera New Jersey will cohost the Curtain Call Award vocal competition and are seeking contestants. The contest is open to high school juniors and seniors who enjoy singing opera. The finals will take place in the Jed Leshowitz Recital Hall in the John A. Cali School of Music at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 2.

Opera New Jersey Director of Artistic Administration and Production Dustin Haugen said the purpose of the talent competition is to foster youngsters’ interest in opera.

“The Curtain Call Award is a perfect fit for Opera New Jersey, which is strongly committed to youth education by engaging children in the world of opera,” explained Haugen. “We’re excited to once again partner with Montclair State University in this event and help young singers realize their music dreams.”

Each of the five finalists will receive private coaching from the Director of Opera New Jersey’s Victoria J. Mastrobuono Emerging Artists Program prior to the finals and also be invited to audit master classes with industry experts held as part of Opera New Jersey’s 2013 Summer Season in June and July. The event winner will also be invited to sing in a master class and will be provided with additional performance opportunities as part of Opera New Jersey’s Summer Season.  In addition, the John A. Cali School of Music will award a scholarship to the winner.

Students must submit an application form. A letter of recommendation must also be included in the submission package with the application, and a CD or DVD video recording of one aria.  The package should be mailed to: Curtain Call Award, Montclair State University, Department of Communication Studies, Life Hall, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, N.J.  07043.  The deadline is April 8, 2013. Judges from Opera New Jersey and the University’s Music Department will select the top five finalists, which will be announced on May 6, 2013. Singers selected as finalists will perform two arias during the final competition on June 2.

Applications for the Curtain Call Awards are now being accepted until April 8, 2013, and are available here. For questions, e-mail CurtainCallAwards@gmail.com. 

The Curtain Call Award was created in 2010 by the Communication Studies’ Public Relations students at Montclair State to provide a showcase for talented high school students who enjoy singing opera.  For the first two years, the Curtain Call was cosponsored by the Metropolitan Opera Guild.  Opera New Jersey became the cosponsor in 2012.  Opera New Jersey is the Garden State’s largest and busiest opera company. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2012, Opera New Jersey has been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts three times and has become known for the highly artistic quality of its productions. For more information, visit www.OperaNJ.org.