Now Open | 2024 Igor Gorin Memorial Award
Guidelines and Instructions
Since 1993, the Igor Gorin Memorial Award has awarded $370,000 to help 48 individual young vocalists at the start of their operatic career. Igor never forgot his early struggles to survive and launch his career; consequently, his family established this award at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona as a fitting way to honor his memory in providing opportunities for aspiring vocalists.
For gifted vocalists poised to begin successful careers, flying from city to city to audition, and hiring accompanists and coaches is expensive. The award money is unrestricted and may be used for coaching, travel, clothing, living costs, and audition expenses. The 2024 award is up to $12,000 at the discretion of the adjudicating committee.
Eligibility
To apply for the Igor Gorin Memorial Award, applicants must meet one of the following criteria:
- Finalists and Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Western Region DISTRICT Auditions held in Arizona, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco between 2019 and 2023.
- Current students and Alumni of the Merola Opera Program or an Adler Fellow of the San Francisco Opera Center between 2019 and 2023.
- Current students and Alumni of the LA Opera’s Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program between 2019 and 2023.
- Marion Roose Pullin Studio Artists Program at the Arizona Opera.
- Applicants must NOT be under contract
Application
Candidates must submit the following to be considered for the Igor Gorin Memorial Award:
A completed online application, which includes the following:
- A high-quality You Tube video (or videos) of the applicant. The recording must meet the following requirements to be considered by the adjudication panel:
- One contrasting brief arias with piano accompaniment only.
- The performances should be within the last 12 months.
- Performances must be in studio. Stage performances will not be accepted.
- The total running time for the aria must not exceed 5 minutes.
- Submit your current resume or CV in PDF format, including the following:
- Education History
- Recent operatic roles (year performed, role/opera, language, company, city)
- Other operatic roles
- Other facts you consider pertinent (awards, etc.) and dates
3. Headshot and permission for the Community Foundation to use the photograph you provide.
Important Dates:
- Applications open: October 6th, 2023.
- Applications due: December 8th, 2023, by 5:00 pm MST. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applications must be submitted online through the Common Grant Application. New applicants will need to create an account before beginning their application. Returning applicants may log in using their previous account.
Click here for a brief tutorial on using the Common Grant Application.
Questions?
To learn more, please contact Enedina Miller at emiller@cfsaz.org or (520)770-0800 Ext. 7111.
Mr. Gorin was a Russian refugee who, in the late 1920’s, escaped to Vienna before immigrating to the United States. His star began to rise as a member of the Czechoslovakian Opera Company. Later, he was invited to the United States by a synagogue in Providence, Rhode Island where he assumed cantorial duties. This was the beginning of a spectacular career in radio, film, stage and television.
Earning a reputation as the “Prince of Baritones,” Igor Gorin’s career spanned the 1930’s through the 1960’s. During WWII, he gave more of his time and talent entertaining the troops than anyone in Hollywood. He had a personal motivation, as his father, brother and sister were in Auschwitz and Igor desperately wanted to see them freed. Singing to the troops, he later said, was his way of saying “thank you.”
Igor and Mary Gorin retired to Tucson in 1965. Before long, then University of Arizona President Richard Harvill invited Igor to begin a second career teaching opera at the university. In working with the next generation of voices, Igor was reminded of his own early struggles to survive and launch his career.