In this episode I have a conversation with my amazing colleague Melissa Wegner about adjudicating elite vocal competitions. We discuss what is involved in adjudicating, various judging categories, what the judges are looking for, the difference between competitions for the artist vs for the teacher, her experience as the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and the Laffont Competition, and more. Melissa Wegner is the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and the Laffont Competition. She is responsible for identifying, awarding, and developing the world’s most promising operatic talent. Having joined the artistic staff of the Met in 2011, she hears artists in stage and screening auditions at the Met and is additionally responsible for casting the Met’s New Opera Commissions workshops. To learn more please go to Metopera.org/LYADP and metopera.org/competition Be sure to check out our courses, and events at www.thevisceralvoice.com! And follow us on Instagram! Are you willing and able to becoming a Supporter of The Visceral Voice Podcast to help keep this podcast running? Please click here for our Patreon membership or here for a one-time PayPal contribution.