The Boston District competition takes place over two days in December. Three judges hear up to 30 singers each day. They choose which singers will move on to the New England Region competition at NEC Jordan Hall the last Sunday of January.
The Boston District competition is not open to the general public.
Formerly known as the National Council Auditions, in May 2021 the competition was renamed the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition in recognition of a generous gift from the Laffont family.
The mission of the competition is to discover exceptional young talent and provide a venue for young opera singers across North America at all levels of development to be heard by representatives of the Metropolitan Opera and to assist those with the greatest potential for operatic careers.
For over 60 years, the competition has helped launch the careers of young singers, including some of opera's greatest stars. Every season, over 100 former participants appear on the Met roster.
A few of our New England Region Alumni...
Michael Fabiano
Denyce Graves
Raven McMillan
Jakob Józef Orliński
Gabriella Reyes
Morris Robinson
Nadine Sierra
Christian Van Horn
Shortly after Howard Hook established Met Opera National Council Auditions, the New England Region ran its first audition in 1958. The Boston District audition is not open to the public. The New England Finals is open to the public and is a ticketed event, drawing an audience, often over 700. Some 200 seats are reserved for students and for finalists' family and friends.
District winners, selected to participate in the Regional Finals, receive $500. Regional Finalists who do not place or receive encouragement awards, will receive an additional $1000.
The Met’s Laffont Competition—previously known as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions—is designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers and is sponsored by hundreds of donors and volunteers from across North and South America. Some of today’s greatest singers got their starts in the competition, including Jamie Barton, Stephanie Blythe, Lawrence Brownlee, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Emily D’Angelo, Michael Fabiano, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Ryan Speedo Green, Lisette Oropesa, Eric Owens, and Nadine Sierra.
Email is preferred.
The Boston District Competition is closed to the general public. Singers who advance to the New England Region Met Opera Laffont Competition will compete who advance from the Connecticut District on the last Sunday of January at NEC Jordan Hall. Tickets information will be available November 1. To be added to our email list for announcements and updates, email contact@nemetlaffont.org or follow our Instagram or Facebook pages.
Singers who have advanced to the District Round will receive a notification regarding the opening of registration. You will be prompted to log in to your Dashboard, select a District, and pay the $30 application fee to reserve your spot. Districts are limited to 35 singers and will operate on a first come, first served basis.
Shortly after Howard Hook established Met Opera National Council Auditions, the New England Region ran its first audition in 1958. The Boston District audition is not open to the public. The New England Finals is open to the public and is a ticketed event, drawing an audience, often over 700. Some 200 seats are reserved for students and for finalists' family and friends.
District winners, selected to participate in the Regional Finals, receive $500. Regional Finalists who do not place or receive encouragement awards, will receive an additional $1000.
Email is preferred.
