Opera Birmingham’s Vocal Competition returns in February 2026, featuring the top emerging operatic voices in the U.S. Ten rising operatic stars will perform a finals concert, competing for cash prizes and the opportunity to appear in future Opera Birmingham productions.
Established in 1978 by the Southern Regional Opera to identify talented local singers, the Opera Birmingham Vocal Competition has grown to become a national competition that has helped launch the careers of the best American young opera stars. Vocal Competition finalists, including Cecilia McKinley, Leah Partridge and Birmingham native Corey McKern, have gone on to perform at major national and international opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera and Santa Fe Opera. Recent competition winners Melinda Whittington, Alex DeSocio, and Quinn Middleman have returned for staring roles in Opera Birmingham productions of Romeo and Juliet and Hansel and Gretel.
Feb 8, 2026 | 4:00 pm
Who Can Compete
Opera Birmingham’s Vocal Competition is open to all non-managed singers aged 21-35 (as of the finals on February 8, 2026) who are permanent residents of the United States. All singers must have less than two completed AGMA contracts as soloists. Previous first prize winners of the Vocal Competition and artists with professional management are ineligible to compete.
Application Deadline
All applications must be received by December 7, 2025
Contestants will be notified of decisions by early January 2026.
Application Requirements
All applications must be submitted through the online application available on YAPTracker. Information about the competition is also included on YAPTracker.
Applications should contain the following:
Professional resume, including performance experience and education information
Professional headshot
Proof of age (examples include a copy of driver’s license or birth certificate)
Recordings of two arias with piano accompaniment only
The application should also include a list of five (5) arias the contestant will offer for the Competition.
Arias should represent a variety of languages and styles, and should include at least one selection in English.
Arias must be sung in the original key, and should be sung in the original language.
*Applications that are incomplete as of the deadline will not be considered. Opera Birmingham reserves the right to disqualify contestants for any misrepresentation on their applications. All decisions by Opera Birmingham and its judges are final.
Judges
TBA
Prizes
First Prize - The Martha Dick McClung Award, given by karyn and brent uptain
$3,500; plus an invitation to perform a role in a future Opera Birmingham production in the next two years (pending appropriate repertoire)
Second Prize - Given by Michael J. and mary anne freeman
$2,500
Third Prize - given by martha pezrow
$2,000
Fourth Prize - given by matthew and emily penfield
$1,500
Fifth Prize - given by tonie bone, in honor of gene bone
$1,000
The Jerry and Sis Levin Audience Favorite Prize - Given by the Levin family
$1,000