Regional MONC winner, tenor Noah Baetge. Photo: Bruce C. Tom.

Tacoma’s newest opera star is on the rise. Noah Baetge, a tenor who grew up in Kent and graduated from Pacific Lutheran University last year, has just won the regional finals for the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, an annual national talent-seeking event for New York’s Metropolitan Opera company.

The Northwest regionals—covering 45 districts in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Western Canada and Alaska—were held on January 25 in Meany Hall, Seattle. Baetge’s first prize not only included $800 from the MONC, but $10,000 raised by its local Northwest Regional Council.

"I was surprised to win," says Baetge, who also competed three years ago, winning at district level. "There were some great talents at the competition and everyone sang so well."

So what happens now? Baetge, along with winners from the other 16 regions, will compete on the Met stage in New York on February 15 in the national semifinals, singing two arias with piano. If he’s one of the ten finalists chosen that day, he’ll go on to the grand finals the following weekend in a concert accompanied by the Met orchestra. The prize money for the (up to) five winners will be $15,000 each; runners-up get $5,000 each. Semi-finalists get $1,500 each.

But the big reward for winning the MONC auditions is a career. Finalists often go on to the Met’s Young Artist training program and roles in the company; past winners have included Stephanie Blythe, Deborah Voigt and Renee Fleming.

PLU’s Barry Johnson, who was Baetge’s vocal teacher, sees plenty of possibility for the 28-year-old tenor, who has spent the last two years singing with Seattle Opera’s Young Artists program. “Noah could go far, he’s extremely talented," Johnson says. "It’s a world-class voice, it’s got both beauty and power. And he’s a smart musician.”

For more on the MONC, see www.metoperafamily.org. For the complete regional results, see www.nwauditions.com