Although no stranger to the highest accolades, baritone Edward Parks '06 landed a big one when he became one of five young singers to win the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He was selected from nine finalists, who performed arias with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, under the direction of Steven Lord '71, during the Grand Finals concert, held February 24 on the Met's stage. Parks sang "L'orage s'est calmé" from Les Pêcheurs de Perles by Georges Bizet and "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen" from Die tote Stadt by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, prompting Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times to characterize his voice as robust and earthy. Each winner was awarded a cash prize of $15,000.

Parks, who studied at Oberlin with Professor of Singing Gerald Crawford, is the fourth Oberlin-trained singer in the last seven years to win the prestigious Met competition. Tenor Alek Shrader '07 won in 2007; soprano Alyson Cambridge '02 won in 2003; and soprano Carolyn Betty '99 won in 2002. A native of Indiana, Pennsylvania, Parks is completing a Master of Music degree at Yale University.

Other top honors that Parks has received include first place in the Opera Columbus Irma M. Cooper International Vocal Competition XXIV; the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Oberlin faculty; and the Dorothy S. Kish Prize for outstanding first-year student of opera at Yale.

Destined for Oberlin

Born and raised in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Parks began taking private voice lessons at the age of eight, under the tutelage of Leonard DeFabo, his beloved church-choir director. At 12, he was inspired to sing opera when he heard Luciano Pavarotti for the first time. While still in high school, Parks attended the Oberlin Vocal Academy for High-School Students, an experience that encouraged him to apply to the Conservatory. However, when the time came for his on-campus audition, he almost didn't show up. Oberlin's was his seventh and final audition, and he was utterly exhausted. A cousin who lived in Cleveland persuaded him to go.

"As soon as I auditioned at the Oberlin Conservatory, I knew that was where I wanted to be," says Parks. He received a scholarship and studied with Gerald Crawford, Director of the Division of Vocal Studies and Professor of Singing. "Gerald was the reason I came out of Oberlin feeling really prepared for the next step -- a more professional career," he says. "He helped me in so many ways, not just in my vocal technique. He has a kind heart. He has been a good friend, nudging me when I needed nudging, and pushing me when I needed pushing. I'm sure I gave him a few gray hairs in the process."

Parks' first lead role at Oberlin was as Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro . He also participated in the Oberlin in Italy program for three summers, where he lived with the same Italian family, absorbing music, family life, culture, and the Italian language. In fall 2006, Parks participated in a master class with Marilyn Horne, Oberlin's Visiting Distinguished Professor of Voice.

After graduating from Oberlin, Parks attended the Music Academy of the West, where he sang the role of Don Prudenzio in Il viaggio a Reims. He then entered Yale's Master of Music program, where he studies with Richard Cross. At Yale, he has sung Marcello in La Bohème , Jupiter in Orphée aux enfers , and Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus.

Parks is auditioning for the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program , which uses the Met's unique resources to identify and educate the most gifted young American singers and coach/accompanists for performances not only at the Met, but also with opera companies throughout the country. During spring and summer 2008, he plans to sing for a second season with the Orchestra Verdi in Milan, Italy, where he will perform the role of Fred Graham in Kiss Me Kate ; he will also participate in the Spoleto Festival and the Music Academy of the West.

Nearly 1,500 young singers participated in this year's Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions , which are held annually in 45 districts and 15 regions across the United States. Designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in their career development, the auditions are considered the most prestigious in North America for singers who are seeking to launch an operatic career .