(Image Source: Metopera.org)

The Metropolitan Opera has officially announced the names of nine singers that have advanced to the final round of the 2020 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

The singers that have made the final round include mezzo-sopranos Gabrielle Beteag and Lindsay Kate Brown; sopranos Chasiti Lashay, Jana McIntyre, Alexandria Shiner, and Denis Vélez; baritones Blake Denson and Xiaomeng Zhang; and tenor Jonah Hoskins. The finalists, chosen by a panel of opera administrators from the Met and other companies. Each will perform two arias with the Met Orchestra conducted by Bertrand de Billy during the competition next Sunday.

This year’s semifinalists were chosen from more than 1,000 singers who participated in auditions held in 40 districts throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, and who then competed in the 12 regional finals. The auditions were sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera National Council and administered by National Council members.

The concert will be hosted by soprano Lisette Oropesa, a 2005 National Council Auditions winner, and will also feature a performance by tenor Javier Camarena.

The final round of the 2020 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions will take place on the Met stage on March 1, 2020.