Congratulations on your acceptance to the 2012 Jensen Foundation Voice Competition!  Please read the following instructions carefully. 

Your audition time was included in your acceptance email.  Please note this time carefully as the full schedule will not be available on our website (but it will be available on yaptracker.com if you are logged into the system). 

CONFIRM ACCEPTANCE:  Because the acceptances are coming out via email, please confirm your receipt of the audition time by logging back into yaptracker.com.  When you are logged in, you will see a message indicating you have a confirmation request pending.  Click the button to confirm the audition.

Please contact me immediately if you are unable to audition.  We have a significant waiting list and want to schedule all available audition times.  You may use the yaptracker.com system to cancel your audition as well but again I ask you to do so in time for another singer to have the opportunity to audition.

With 125 singers, I am unable to coordinate audition time changes—we are at capacity. But I have created a message board you may use this year to find alternate days and times. http://jensenfoundation.proboards.com/ (Let me know your thoughts!)  Should you make a swap with someone else, I ask that you both please notify me immediately so I can change the competition schedule.

STAFF ACCOMPANISTS:  An accompanist is provided free of charge by the Jensen Foundation for applicants that indicated they would be using our staff accompanist.   

Auditions on Monday and Thursday (and the Finals):  Your accompanist will be Joan Krueger. If you would like to rehearse with her, you may reach her at 212/877-9622. She coaches at 160 West 71st Street, #3P, which is in the southeast corner of Broadway and 71st. She charges a discounted rate for Jensen competitors. Joan is an excellent coach who has worked in Manhattan for over 20 years; she is on the faculty at SUNY-Purchase.

Auditions on Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday (and for the Finals):  Your accompanist will be Jonathan Kelly.  Jonathan is currently an Assistant Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera.  Contact him via email at jonathanckelly@me.com.

IF YOU ARE BRINGING YOUR OWN ACCOMPANIST:  Please confirm that your accompanist can arrive 30 minutes prior to audition time.  Be advised that the staff accompanist may not be available to play unless you give prior notice. Should you decide to use our accompanist instead of your own, please let us know by writing to ann.todd@jensenfoundation.org.

MATERIALS FOR THE AUDITION:  Please bring the following with you to the audition for the judges:

1)      Current Resume—6 copies

2)      Headshot—6 copies

3)      Photocopies of music in a three-ring binder if using the staff accompanist (no loose music and no plastic sleeves)

LOCATION:  Auditions will be held at the Engelman Recital Hall, Baruch Performing Arts Center (BPAC) located within the 55 Lexington Avenue building.  Access is available on East 25th Street between Lexington Avenue and 3rd Avenue. Enter the building and look for signage to the recital hall.   For bus or subway directions, please check out their website at http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/bpac.

Please arrive at least 30 minutes early as we sometimes go ahead of schedule, and please be patient should we run behind.  Some practice space is available.

FINALS:  After all preliminary auditions have been heard, finalists will be chosen. We will notify all finalists, via phone, before 10 p.m. on Friday, May 20st.   Please make sure that you are available to receive our call so that we can confirm that all finalists know their audition times for the final round on Saturday. Answering machines can be unreliable. 

The finals will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 21th.   If you are not chosen to compete in the final round, you are welcome and encouraged to come—the finals are open to the public. A reception will follow the finals at 2:30.  Finalists may at this time meet the judges from the final rounds for feedback—no written feedback will be provided. All finalists MUST BE PRESENT at the awards ceremony to win. 

CONTACT INFORMATION:  If you have not received ANY confirmation emails, please contact me immediately!  Email is our primary source of contact—please add to your non-spam list: opera@jensenfoundation.org and ann.todd@jensenfoundation.org.  In case of emergencies the week of the competition, call me at 704-651-3089 or email me at the addresses above.  Cell phone reception is poor at the BPAC, please leave detailed messages and I will call or email when I can. 

ARIA LISTS:  Aria lists may be updated –but changes are due April 20.  No changes to the list will be allowed after that date—all judges will have a printed score sheet with aria’s listed.   Changes may be emailed to me at ann.todd@jensenfoundation.org.  If you do have changes, please include the new aria (with role, opera and composer) AND the aria that it will replace. 

AUDITION NOTES:  A few last words as you prepare for your audition.  Careful thought to the use of the stage and the demonstration of your dramatic skills during your audition is encouraged.  Professional dress for both the preliminary auditions and finals is recommended. The Jensen Foundation encourages you to remember that opera is about your complete presentation and not solely your vocal abilities.

In the interim, should you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 704/651-3089 or write me at ann.todd@jensenfoundation.org.

See you in New York in May!