2024 MIOpera International Vocal Competition

Applications are now OPEN for the 2024 International Competition!

emerging artists General information

Grand Prize/1st place: $1500.00

2nd place: $1000.00

3rd place: $750.00

Additional Awards (Given at the discretion of the Judges): Music at the Manor Recital Artist Contract, John and Tracy Koch Audience Award, 2024 Mary Ellen Clancy Scholarship Award (chosen from semi-finalists by the Opera Illinois League Board: https://www.facebook.com/operaillinoisleague) and MIOpera Role Award.

  1. No travel is involved during any stage of the competition. Everything will be submitted and presented online.

  2. The judges will review the videos and choose the winners. All decisions of the judges are final.

  3. This competition is open to all singers regardless of citizenship.

  4. All awards will be sent electronically through PayPal.

  5. Applicants will be notified by email of our results.

  6. Twenty (20) semi-finalists will be chosen by our judges and ten (10) finalists will be chosen from our semi-finalists to compete.

    important deadlines

    New Application Deadline: Friday, March 1, 2024

    New Announcement of Semi-finalists: Friday, March 7, 2024

    New Announcement of Finalists & Winners: Sunday, March 31, 2024

  7. Semi-finalist singers in the Emerging Artist Category will be eligible for 1st prize/Grand Prize, 2nd prize, 3rd prize, Honorable Mention, Music at the Manor Recital Artist Contract, a contract for a role in our upcoming 2025-2026 Season, John and Tracy Koch Audience Award, 2024 Mary Ellen Clancy Scholarship Award (chosen from semi-finalists by the Opera Illinois League Board: https://www.facebook.com/operaillinoisleague)

  8. The final Announcement of the Winners will be on, on our MIOpera YouTube Channel Friday March 22, 2024.

Emerging Artist Rules:

*Previous first prize and grand prize winners are not eligible.

  1. This level of the competition is for those who are Emerging Artists and have not yet performed or have been contracted with a Level A opera company and/or have participated in a Level A opera company’s Young Artist Program. There is no age limit for this division.

  2. Applicants must submit three (3)audition selections. Once the selections are submitted, they can not be changed. Submit a video recording of three (3) arias, any language & style from any of the standard and/or modern Opera repertory.

  3. A $25.00 application fee will be required during your application submission. All application fees are non-refundable.

  4. Applications must be submitted by the competition deadline date, Friday March 1, 2024.

  5. Applications not completed in their entirety, not submitted by the deadline date, or submitted without an application fee payment will be considered ineligible to compete.

  6. Applicants must dress in concert attire for your videos.

  7. All video links submitted on your application must be active and available for the judges to view. If any of your links do not work, you will automatically be disqualified.

  8. You may use videos with orchestral and/or piano accompaniment. If you are using a video from a performance, please obtain permission to use the video. Please have your videos ready to start at the beginning of your aria.

  9. If you do not respond to our emails from the MIOpera International Vocal Competition and/or do not submit the requested videos on-time during the semi-finalist or finalist portion of the competition, you will automatically be disqualified and alternates will be notified. Please make sure our email address: mioperaoffice@gmail.com is in your contacts so our emails do not go to your spam folder.

  10. Please read the rules carefully and abide by them.

  11. Questions? Email: Tracy: mioperaoffice@gmail.com