Finding Opera’s Next Stars — The Fort Worth Opera Celebrates 40 Years of Launching Careers and Supporting Emerging Artists

For four decades, the McCammon Voice Competition has been a defining tradition of Fort Worth Opera’s commitment to discovering and nurturing the next generation of operatic talent.

As 10 singers prepare to wow audiences and judges at the Kimbell Art Museum later this month, Fort Worth Opera’s Angela Turner Wilson says the competition can play a pivotal role in the careers of the young men and women who make the final cut.

“All of these competitors are non-managed,” Turner tells PaperCity. “The opera business has changed. Post-COVID, many singers had to take another occupation for a while. These are not all 21-year-olds [who come to our competition]. We’re talking about people who may be 31 and haven’t had the opportunity to be identified yet.”

To reduce the potential for bias based on the competitor’s age, the application process and early screenings do not require singers to disclose their age, says Wilson, who directs the opera and sits on the McCammon judge panel this year.

Notable past McCammon winners and finalists include vocalists Joyce DiDonato, Vivica Genaux, Christopher Magiera, and Marjorie Owens, among many others. Past top-prize winner Siphokazi Molteno says the 2023 contest boosted her confidence and helped raise her profile in a competitive field.

“They saw something in me,” Molteno says. “That’s huge to have people believe in you.”

Two Days, Ten Voices, One Unforgettable Competition

The Sunday, March 23 competition is the highlight of a two-day event that starts when this year’s competitors from Dallas, New York, Long Island, Spokane, and elsewhere arrive to rehearse and prepare for the Saturday draw party. Sunday’s performance at the Kimbell’s Renzo Piano Pavilion will be judged by Wilson, UIA Talent Agency Vanessa Uzan, conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and Santa Fe Opera’s Chandler Johnson.

Turner says winners must give masterful performances, but having a unique voice can also be a plus. The diversity of the judging panel ensures that singers are heard by classical music professionals who bring unique perspectives.

Fort Worth Opera board member Jen Appleman says the benefits of the competition go beyond the potential $10,000 top prize.

“All the competitors are going to get exposure,” Appleman says. “The judges are going to be thinking about them after the contest. If you can rise up, someone is going to remember you. This competition has grown over the years. Fort Worth Opera is back on the rise, and the McCammon is too. Our last winners will be singing at The Met and everywhere else.”

Molteno says she will be “forever grateful” to the Fort Worth Opera for giving her the opportunity to compete at the McCammon. When her name was announced as the first prize winner, she says she was so overcome with emotion that she couldn’t move.

“I didn’t think I was going to win,” she says. “I was shocked when they called my name. The entire competition was done in a way that was healthy for the singers. I hope more singers get to experience that. Winning gave me more experience and the confidence to try other international competitions. It helped to boost my confidence.”