The Portland Opera Guild is the longest tenured organization of advocacy for the artform of opera in the State of Oregon. As part of its mission, Young Voices Northwest Competition is a new program in 2025 that nurtures the next generation of professional opera singer talent.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2025, 1 - 5 p.m.
The Lincoln Recital Hall at Portland State University

Competition participants accepted from a pool of applicants will perform on stage for three professional adjudicators and audience. The application and screening process is outlined within this competition overview.

MILESTONES:

  • Monday, September 8, 2025 - Application Deadline (online or postmark)

  • Monday, September 15, 2025 - Notification to Applicants for Competition Performance Finalists

  • Sunday, October 12, 2025 - Finalists perform before an audience and adjudicators.

ADJUDICATORS:

  • CLARE BUROVAC is the former General and Artistic Director of New Orleans Opera. Prior to her time in New Orleans, Burovac was Director of Artistic Operations at Portland Opera, where she oversaw all artistic planning as well as education and community engagement programs. As the head of the Portland Opera Resident Artist Program, Burovac developed the program into one of the most competitive in the United States. She is a frequent judge of the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition. A recipient of an OPERA America Fellowship, she has been a guest stage manager for San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, and The Glimmerglass Festival, among many others.

  • ALEXIS HAMILTON is manager of Education & Community Engagement Portland Opera. She manages Portland Opera to Go (its school and community tour), Opera a la Cart (our mobile opera stage that makes appearances throughout the area during the summertime), and is a good resource for finding and/or inquiring about operatic talent for events. She also works with schools and teachers to develop curriculum for use in classrooms. One of the most exciting things she does is find ways to partner with other organizations and develop programming that allows people to really participate in the art form of opera--or develop something new!

  • PETER JACOBY has distinguished himself as a visionary musical thinker, as a proponent of innovative programs challenging musicians and new audiences, and as an expert conductor comfortable in diverse repertoire ranging from Handel to Puccini, from Bruckner to Argento. As an opera music director, he has prepared orchestras and casts for over seventy fully-staged productions in original languages. As one dedicated to his art form, he has used his keen business acumen and persuasiveness to raise well over $2mm for programs and stipends, while continuing to mentor young singers, coaches and conductors over the breadth of his career.

COMPETITION WINNERS:

$5,000 in total prize money will be awarded, including an ‘audience favorite’ category.

[$2,500 Grand Prize; $1,000 Second Prize; $1,000 Third Prize; $500 Audience Favorite]

Winners will also perform at a Portland Opera Guild Luncheon.

QUESTIONS?

Jutta Allen: juttaallen@comcast.net or 503.294.0010

UNDERWRITING OPPORTUNITIES:

Please indicate on your contribution check in the “memo” with “Young Voices.”

Download underwriting opportunities HERE.

APPLY NOW:

Please use the online application form to enter the competition HERE.

OR download the information and application packet HERE.

Funded in part through a generous matching grant from Opera Volunteers International.