Photo by Robert Shomler   
 

Opera San José, in association with Arts Management Services of San Francisco, presented the Third Annual Irene Dalis Vocal Competition on May 16, 2009, 7 p.m. at the California Theatre. At the conclusion of the West Coast Auditions for Singers, the ten best singers were chosen as the featured competition finalists.

The ten finalists competed for $50,000 in cash prizes: First prize ($15,000), second prize ($10,000) and third prize ($5,000.) In addition, a $5,000 prize for Audience Favorite was selected by voting during the final intermission. A $1,000 Wagner Prize was awarded (if there was  an appropriate competitor in this voice fach.) The remaining seven contenders received $2,000 each as Encouragement awards. Finalists  
were culled from more than a hundred participants at the three-day West Coast Auditions for Singers held earlier in the week in San Jose.

Judges for the competition were Peter Mark, artistic director of Virginia Opera; Michael Ching, artistic and general director of Opera Memphis; and Michael Ballam, founder and general director of Utah Festival Opera Company. Returning as accompanist for both the
vocal competition finals and the auditions was pianist Daniel Lockert.
 

The Irene Dalis Vocal Competition was sponsored by the Irene Dalis Fund for Singers,

Performances are supported, in part,
by a Cultural Affairs grant from 
the City of San José

and

Silicon Valley Community Foundation.