NATS North Central Regional Student Auditions
Categories and Age Limits
(Age limits apply as of the date of the regional audition, March 1, 2015, and the age categories reflected below are official)
Category Age Limit Years of Study
I. High School Music Theater Men 14-19 no limit
II. High School Music Theater Women 14-19 no limit
III. High School Men 14-19 no limit
IV. High School Women 14-19 no limit
V. College/Private Music Theater Men 25 1 – 5 (all as undergraduate)
VI. College/Private Music Theater Women 25 1 – 5 (all as undergraduate)
VII-A Freshman College/Private Men 19 1 – 2 (beyond high school)
VII-B Sophomore College/Private Men 20 1 – 2 (beyond high school)
VIII-A Freshman College/Private Women 19 1 – 2 (beyond high school)
VIII-B Sophomore College/Private Women 20 1 – 2 (beyond high school)
IX-A Junior College/Private Men 21 3 – 5 (all as undergraduate)
IX-B Senior College/Private Men 22 3 – 5 (all as undergraduate)
X-A Junior College/Private Women 21 3 – 5 (all as undergraduate)
X-B Senior College/Private Women 22 3 – 5 (all as undergraduate)
XI Graduate/Advanced Men 22-30 5+ (beyond high school)
XII Graduate/Advanced Women 22-30 5+ (beyond high school)
Repertoire requirements
(Repertoire requirements for the North Central Region are the same as for the national level repertoire requirements.
Students must follow these requirements.)
I & II - High School Music Theater Categories
THREE CONTRASTING MUSIC THEATER SELECTIONS from Broadway and Off-Broadway original shows and revivals.
Timing for the audition will be limited to 8 minutes and will begin when the singer announces the first selection.
III & IV - High School Categories
1. One art song in English.
2. One art song in a foreign language.
3. One additional selection (from the classical repertoire. Musical Theater repertoire may not be included in this category.)
Timing for the audition will be limited to 8 minutes and will begin when the singer announces the first selection.
V & VI - College/Private Music Theater Categories
FOUR CONTRASTING MUSIC THEATER SELECTIONS from Broadway and Off-Broadway original shows and revivals. One of the four selections may be from an opera or operetta.
Timing for the audition will be limited to 12 minutes and will begin when the singer announces the first selection.
VII & VIII - Freshman & Sophomore College/Private Men & Women Categories
1. One aria (sung in original language or in English translation when appropriate).
2. One art song in English (original language).
3. One foreign language art song (sung in the original language).
Timing for the audition will be limited to 10 minutes and will begin when the singer announces the first selection.
IX & X – Junior & Senior College/Private Men & Women Categories
1. One aria (sung in original language or in English translation when appropriate).
2. One art song in English (original language).
3. One foreign language art song (sung in the original language).
4. One additional selection (sung in the original language and selected from the classical repertoire. Musical Theater repertoire may not be included in this category.)
Timing for the audition will be limited to 12 minutes and will begin when the singer announces the first selection.
XI & XII - Graduate/Advanced Categories
1. One operatic aria (sung in the original language or in English translation when appropriate).
2. One oratorio/cantata aria (sung in the original language or in English translation when appropriate).
3. One foreign language art song (sung in the original language).
4. One English art song (sung in English).
5. One additional selection (sung in the original language and selected from the classical repertoire. Musical Theater repertoire may not be included in this category.) *No more than two of the selections may be in English.
Timing for the audition will be limited to 15 minutes and will begin when the singer announces the first selection.
Process and Organization
A. Preliminary Rounds
The competition begins at the chapter/district level with each chapter/district following its own mechanism for advancing singers to the regional competition.
Each chapter/district advances the top 3 singers in each category to the regional YouTube screening level. In the event of ties, all singers with 1st, 2nd or 3rd place outcomes may advance. In chapters/districts where audition categories differ from those at the regional level, the top 3 singers from each chapter/district category will advance to the regional YouTube screening level.
B. Regional Rounds
Each region advances the top 3 singers in each category to the national YouTube screening level. In the event of ties, all singers with 1st, 2nd or 3rd place outcomes may advance. In regions where audition categories differ from those at the national level, the top 3 singers from each regional category will advance to the national YouTube screening level (i.e., 3 each from North Central Regional Freshman College/Private Women, 3 each from North Central Regional Sophomore College/Private Women for a total of 6 to compete in Lower College Women at the National YouTube screening level).
Regions may use different audition categories and/or repertoire requirements, but all singers competing in the National Student Auditions will follow the National guidelines for categories and repertoire. At the time of application for the National Student Auditions, each singer must certify that the repertoire that s/he is submitting was included in the repertoire that s/he submitted at the regional level. If regional repertoire requirements differ from the national requirements, the singer may only substitute repertoire for the selection(s) that vary from the regional requirements.
Music Theater students who exceed the age limits for the College/Private Music Theater categories are eligible for participation in the National Music Theater Competition and are encouraged to enter that competition.
C. National YouTube Screening
The national rounds of the competition will begin with eligible singers from each region completing online registration for the national auditions and submitting a YouTube video for initial judging and comments. All of the repertoire selections for the applicable audition category, as set forth in the requirements for the National Student Auditions must be included on the YouTube video; and the footage of this video must not be edited. Fourteen singers from each audition category will be invited to the live National Semi-Final Round.
D. National Semi-Final Round
The National Semi-Final round will take place during the National Conference or Workshop. Each singer participating in the national semi-final round will begin with a selection of his or her choice and continue with selections chosen by the judges according to the national repertoire requirements and within the prescribed time limits for each audition category. Three singers from each audition category will advance to the National Final Round.
E. National Final Round
The National Final Round will take place during the National Conference or Workshop. Each participating singer will sing one selection of his or her choice. This selection must be one of the pieces submitted in the previous national rounds of the competition. Award certificates and monetary awards will be presented to all three finalists in each audition category.
Numbers of contestants advancing from each level of the Audition:
If all Regions submit 3 singers from each of their various regional categories, the approximate numbers will be as follows:
· YouTube Screening – 700 singers
o 14 singers per category will advance to the National Semi-Final round
· National Semi-Final round – 168 singers
o 3 singers per category will advance to the National Final round
· National Final round – 36 singers
2015 Audition schedule
February 28, 2015 - Deadline for state/district audition chairs to submit a list of eligible singers and their repertoire to the regional governor, Alison Feldt, (feldt@stolaf.edu), although state/district audition chairs are encouraged to send lists of eligible singers and their repertoire earlier
March 1, 2015 - Deadline for singers advancing to the North Central regional auditions to upload YouTube submissions and for teachers to submit online application information
March 9-18, 2015 - YouTube submissions reviewed by selected judges
March 30, 2015 - Deadline for each region to submit a list of eligible singers and the repertoire for each to the National Student Auditions Coordinator
April 23, 2015 - Deadline for regional finalists to submit YouTube submissions for national YouTube screenings
May 7, 2015 - Deadline for judging results from national YouTube submissions
May 15, 2015 - Date to notify national semi-finalists (Approximately 6 weeks prior to semi-finals)
July 7, 2015 - National Student Auditions semi-final and final rounds at the NATS Summer Workshop at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Audition fees
Regional Level Registration Fee: $25
National Level Registration Fee: $75
This is a registration fee for the National Auditions, and covers all rounds: YouTube screening, Semi-Finals and Finals. This fee provides for a pianist at the Semi-final and Final rounds of the competition, should the singer so desire; and includes national conference registration for all sessions. This is separate from any Chapter, District, and/or Regional Audition fees.
Pianists
Each singer may collaborate with his or her own pianist at all levels of the competition. For those singers who elect to use a Staff Pianist, one will be provided at the National Semi-Final and Final rounds at no extra cost to the singer. While no rehearsals will be possible with the Staff Pianists prior to or during the Semi-Final round, singers who advance to the Final round and are using a Staff Pianist will be allotted a ten-minute rehearsal with the pianist immediately preceding the audition.
Adjudication
The Regional Governor will select judging panels for the North Central Regional YouTube screening.
Judging panels for the National YouTube screening, the National Semi-Finals, and the National Finals will be selected by the National Student Auditions Coordinator in consultation with the National Vice President for Auditions. Sources for eligible adjudicators will include:
· Any teacher with a singer who is competing may be invited to judge a category in which his or her student is not competing
· NATS members attending the Conference or Workshop may indicate on the registration form a willingness to serve as a judge
· NATS members who reside in the area of the Conference or Workshop may be contacted to serve as judges
National Prize Monies and/or Awards
High School, Music Theater, Lower College Categories*
$1,200 1st place in category (x8 categories = $9,600)
$600 2nd place in each category (x8 categories = $4,800)
$450 3rd place in each category (x8 categories = $3,600)
Upper College and Graduate Categories*
$1,600 1st place in category (x4 categories = $6,400)
$900 2nd place in each category (x4 categories = $3,600)
$500 3rd place in each category (x4 categories = $2,000)
*Should there be ties, the awards will be pooled and divided evenly between the singers. Both will be named Place Winners. Not all prizes must be awarded in all categories, depending on enrollment and/or judging.
