STUDENT ADVANCES IN OPERA AUDITIONS

Cary Nall is trying to get into an apprenticeship program at a metropolitan opera company. Last weekend in St. Louis, she took a major step toward a position with THE metropolitan opera company.

She was one of three winners of the New York Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, probably the most prestigious set of tryouts in the land.

Nall, a 22-year-old vocal music education major at Southeast Missouri State University, didn't go to the auditions trying to win.

"I went there for an audition experience and it just turned out in my favor," she said. "...I was very shocked. I was excited and thrilled."

Unlike most opera hopefuls who major in performance, Nall is a vocal music education major. "It's a little bit unusual," says Chris Goeke, an assistant professor of music who has been teaching Nall for the past two years.

Nall, who will do her student teaching in the spring at Crystal City and Cape Girardeau schools, said she wanted a teaching degree "in case things didn't pan out with opera.

"I love teaching, too," she said.

Her father, Dennis Nall, is the vocal music teacher at Festus High School. Her uncle, Ron Nall, is the director of bands at Cape Central High School.

She must love auditioning as well. Two weekends ago she was in Chicago, trying out for the San Francisco's Merolla Opera Program. She had to miss a few days of classes at Southeast Missouri State University while waiting to see if she'd be called back.

Then she drove with her mother Sandra back to Chicago to audition for the Houston Grand Opera last Friday. The next day she was in St. Louis to audition for the Metropolitan Opera.

In St. Louis she sang "Der Hoelle Rache" from Mozart's "The Magic Flute" and the "Letter Aria" from "The Ballad of Baby Doe" by 20th century American composer Douglas Moore.

Both her mother and father were present. "They were overjoyed," Nall said.

One of the judges, renowned soprano Evelyn Lear, spoke with Nall afterward. "She said she had quite a bit of potential as an operatic singer," Goeke said. "She also made a few suggestions."

Nall wasn't the only singer from Southeast who impressed judges at the audition. Donna Smith, who recently won a first -place award in a National Association of Teachers of Singing audition held at Northeast Missouri State University, was named a first alternate in the Metropolitan Opera auditions. She is a student of Southeast's Louisa Panou-Takahashi.

Nall will return to St. Louis in February to compete in regional auditions with singers from Kansas City and Tulsa.

"I feel very privileged just to participate in the competition," she said.