College vocalists across the region are being invited to apply for the Madame Rose Vocal Scholarship Competition, an annual opera competition offering up to $2,000 in scholarship money to top performers.
The competition is open to college juniors and seniors, graduate students, and anyone completing a degree no earlier than May 2026 at any school in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee or Texas.
Prizes and How to Apply
First place will receive $2,000, second place will receive $1,000 and third place will receive $500. Preliminary judging is based entirely on a digital audio recording of one aria, submitted by email in MP3 format; the competition does not accept applications by mail or video submission. Entries must include the applicant’s name, address, email address, phone number and school status, but should not include a resume or head shot at this stage.
The deadline to apply is Nov. 15, 2026. There is no application fee for the preliminary round. A panel of three judges will review the submitted recordings and select ten finalists, along with alternates, to advance to the final round.
From Finalist to the Final Round
Finalists will be notified by email when invitations to the final round go out on Dec. 1, 2026. Those selected must confirm their acceptance by Dec. 15, 2026, along with a non-refundable $50 application fee, brief biographical information and a head shot. The fee covers the cost of a collaborative pianist for the final performance; artists who prefer to bring their own pianist may do so at their own expense, though the standard fee is not waived in that case. Travel costs and accommodations remain the responsibility of each artist.
The final competition will be held Saturday, Jan. 9, 2027, at 1 p.m. at the Larkins Music Center, located at 257 Dauphin St. in Mobile. Each finalist will perform two arias from the standard opera and operetta repertoire, with the order of performance determined by a random drawing. Musical theater selections are not accepted. Any questions about eligibility or the suitability of a particular selection can be directed to the competition by email ahead of time.
The final round is open to the public free of charge, and scholarships will be awarded to the winners at the conclusion of the program. Organizers say major funding for the competition’s education and outreach efforts is provided by The Nan H. Altmayer Charitable Foundation.
For young vocalists across the Gulf South, the Madame Rose competition represents both a financial opportunity and a chance to perform in front of an audience and a panel of judges, offering real-world experience ahead of professional auditions. With the preliminary deadline still months away, students interested in applying have time to prepare a recording that best represents their voice before the Nov. 15 cutoff.