The Laffont Competition, Western Canada District, took place on Sunday, November 12 at the UBC Old Auditorium.
The three winners were Jamal Al Titi, baritone, Rachael McAuley, mezzo-soprano, and Elizabeth St-Gelais, soprano. Encouragement awards went to Mariana Iguavita, soprano, and Elias Theocharidis, tenor.
There were 15 contestants, ranging in age from 20 to 29 and hailing from British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario.
The esteemed judges were Ben Heppner, a world-renowned tenor who studied at UBC and won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in 1988, and David Gately, currently an associate professor of opera at the Boston Conservatory and known for his more than 300 productions for over 60 companies.
The Guild has been the proud sponsor of the only Met auditions held in Canada since 1978. The Met designed this competition to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers. Some of today’s greatest singers got their start in these auditions.