Southwestern College senior Jamie Garrard, Belton, Mo., was invited by a competitive selection process to travel to Minneapolis, Minn., to participate in a live audition for The Minnesota Opera’s Young Artists’ Program on Saturday, Nov. 8.  The invitation came on the strength of a recording and other application materials Garrard sent to the professional opera company.

For the audtion, Garrard prepared and memorized five different operatic arias in five different languages—English, Italian, French, German, and Czech.  Garrard is grateful for what she has learned.

“When I was waiting in the lobby for auditions, I kept thinking to myself, ‘What in the world am I doing here?’” Garrard says.  “I even had a moment when I considered walking out, but I’m glad I went through with it. Whether I make it or not, preparing for the audition was the most rewarding experience.”   

The audition went well according to David Gardner, assistant professor of music and director of choirs at SC. Garrard is waiting to see if she’ll be offered a position for the upcoming season. Gardner helped her prepare for the audition. 

“Just being invited to a call-back is quite an honor coming from a company like Minnesota,” Gardner says.  “They are very well-respected in the opera world.”

Garrard is the daughter of Karl and Sue Garrard, Belton.