The prestigious McCammon Voice Competition presents the rising stars of the operatic world as the Fort Worth Opera welcomes the most talented vocalists to town once more this March. The competition, which takes place every two years, scouts the biggest talent from around the globe.
Ten finalists will take to the stage at the Kimbell Art Museum on Sunday, March 23, at 2 pm, competing for $15,000 in prizes and a coveted, career-building stamp of approval.
With so much to take in this spring in the Fort Worth art scene, the McCammon takes operatic excellence center stage. It’s a “rare chance to witness world-class talent up close, with the audience even getting to vote on one of the prizes,” the Fort Worth Opera says.
History In The Making
“Every other year since 1985, the McCammon Voice Competition brings Final Four intensity, American Idol vitality, and Oscar Red Carpet style right here to our city,” says Fort Worth Opera General & Artistic Director Angela Turner Wilson. “It’s high-stakes, high-drama, and high artistry — all in one thrilling afternoon.”
The 2025 competition marks 40 years since it first debuted in 1985, when “Marguerite McCammon donated $30,000 to the Opera Guild to help young singers prove their talents and advance their careers by competing for awards and recognition.”
At its inception, the McCammon Competition was focused on highlighting home-grown Texas talent, but its notoriety soon made it a national — and then an international vocal competition, successfully launching careers of opera stars such as Grammy-winning baritone Richard Paul Fink and soprano Marjorie Owens.
Some of the biggest opera stars of tomorrow will begin their journey this month in Fort Worth.
The McCammon Voice Competition By The Numbers
- Open to singers age 21 and above who have never had professional management
- Nearly 300 hopefuls from around the world applied
- A panel of 17 judges winnowed that field to 48 semi-finalists
- Those 48 were then evaluated by three industry pros: mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, Baylor professor and vocal coach Kathleen Kelly, and conductor Tyson Deaton
- The field has been narrowed to 10 finalists (and five alternates) who will face the final judging panel — and a live audience — in Fort Worth on March 23
- Each contestant has submitted a list of four arias they are prepared to sing
What To Expect At The McCammon
The contestants have chosen their arias to “showcase vocal artistry, technical skill, and command of multiple languages — essential for professional opera singers, who often perform in English, Italian, French, German, and even Russian.”
“At the live event on March 23, each singer gets to choose their first aria from that list, which they will perform with piano accompaniment,” according to the Opera. “For the second half of the program, the judges raise the stakes by selecting a surprise second aria from the same list.”
The judging panel for this year’s competition includes Fort Worth Opera’s Turner Wilson, Chandler Johnson of Santa Fe Opera, Vanessa Uzan of UIA Talent Agency, and Miguel Harth-Bedoya of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
Those in attendance will also have their voices heard as they will choose the Audience Favorite Award. They will also have the chance to “meet the competitors at a post-awards reception, all in the intimate setting of the Kimbell Art Museum theater.”
“The McCammon is a launching pad for the next generation of opera stars,” says Turner Wilson. “Each finalist on that stage could be standing on the brink of a major career. When you come out and support them, you’re getting an afternoon of spectacular voices singing world-famous arias — but it’s deeper than that. You’re also helping to shape the future of opera.”
To learn more about the McCammon Competition and to purchase tickets for the event, please visit the Fort Worth Opera website at fwopera.org.