Information for Judges

Judging Responsibilities

• Maintain a positive and relaxed attitude and try to put performers at ease. Encourage! Make your constructive criticisms as positive as possible. Use the Wisconsin Audition Rubric as your guide.
• Be discreet and professional in any comment made during and the audition and between singers.
• All discussions regarding your assessment of an audition should take place after audition scores are handed to the tally room in and in a location that is private.

Site Procedures

• STAY on TIME! It is imperative that the auditions scheduled stay on time.
• Singing time begins when the room monitor announces the name of the person auditioning.
• Performance Order: In all divisions, the singer determines the performance order and will announce their songs in their chosen performance order. Encourage them to do so if they have forgotten.
• Senior and Continuing Senior: Three of the four selections will be performed. The aria is required. The student chooses an art song, the judges choose an art song, and the student determines the performance order. Only three selections will be sung!
• Graduate Adult Division: Performance: A minimum of three selections will be performed, all from memory (with the exception of oratorio, Mass or cantata arias). One of the arias is required. The singer has the choice of performing one selection first, which may be an aria. After the singer has sung the first choice, the judges will choose at least two selections from the remaining repertoire and the singer may choose the performance order of those two selections. Time permitting, a fourth or fifth selection may be heard at the discretion of the judges.

Scoring

• Comment Sheets: Individual comment sheets with information for the entrant including name, division and repertoire will be given to each judge. This sheet is for written comments to the student. If a judge wishes to make comments directly to the student’s teacher, paper and envelopes will be provided in each judge’s packet for that purpose.
• Preliminary Round Tally Sheets: On the Judges Tally Sheet, the adjudicator will assign each singer a percentage score: Excellent 97-100, Very good  93-96,  Good 89-92,  Fair 85-88. Use Whole Numbers in divisions of 15 or less. You may repeat numbers. In larger divisions you may use .5, for example 98.5. Scores should be recorded on the Tally Sheet in the Judge’s Packet. One missing score due to an error from one judge will be resolved by calculating the average of the scores of the other two judges in that division. If there is a repertoire infraction, check the ineligible to advance box. Please do not write the scores on the Comment Sheets!
• Head Judge: (indicated by *) The Head Judge for each singing site should pick up the Judge’s Packet for that site at the conclusion of the morning meeting (morning divisions) or at the Tally Room (afternoon divisions). He will also coordinate the schedule and smooth operation of the audition in the designated room. It is also his responsibility to insure that judges do not confer regarding scores and that no one tampers with the scoring. The head judge should return the tally sheets to the tally room immediately after the judges have finished marking their scores (or delegate that job to one of the other judges if you have another round to judge right afterward). Following the round, please ask the other judges to collate Comment Sheets and return them to the Information Table.
• Semi-Final Scoring:  Specific directions are on the tally sheets. The semi-finals larger divisions (ten or more singers) will use percentage rankings like the preliminary round. Other divisions will use rankings (example one to five—one being the top score).
• Finals Scoring: In the Finals, the judges will numerically rank the singers. No percentage scores will be given in the Final Round. Specific directions are on the tally sheets.