Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition: Indiana District

The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition returns to Indianapolis on Saturday, October 24, with the Indiana District hosted by Indianapolis Opera at the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center. It's a long day of singing, running from 11 AM to 6 PM, and it's one of those rare chances to see young opera singers compete in real time rather than just hearing them once they've already made it.

The competition is staged across the United States to find promising young opera singers and support their future careers. The Indiana District is hosted by Indianapolis Opera every year, and this time it's presented by the newly formed Indiana Classical Voice. The Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Psi Iota Xi, Inc., and the University of Indianapolis are among the supporters behind it.

For the singers, this is a big deal. It's become a defining step in the careers of many of the company's greatest stars, and Indiana has produced more Laffont Competition winners than any other state in the country. Last year's district named three winners, including baritone Robert Wente, who went on to win the Grand Finals in New York City. That's the trajectory the competition is built for: a local district that can lead all the way to the Met.

Tickets are $25, and the whole thing takes place on the University of Indianapolis campus at the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center, 1230 Greyhound Lane, Indianapolis, IN 46227. It runs from 11 AM to 6 PM on Saturday, October 24.