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As with most of the contestants, Ms. Kizart is not a beginner in the sense that this is her first outing as a singer. Her resume lists numerous roles, awards and performances to her credit, as well as a solid educational background and mastery of language. In that sense, her observation that the sacrifice is great is well grounded in the experience of many who follow the same track. “Emotionally, it is challenging in this field," added Goldgorin, "especially in the competition setting where the ranking of singers can sometimes make one forget that unlike other fields, there really isn’t a finite objective ‘best’; we all have something special to contribute to the art.” So, while competing is difficult, she explained, “What better way is there to be seen than this? What better way than in a performance setting like this, where all the finalists have in some way already won?”

For most, the road to success will be traveled with small steps and an occasional rewarding job, but as Ayers pointed out, don’t overstep your own sensibilities. “Very few singers become overnight sensations. The reality is that most singers actually begin their careers in their late 20’s and early 30’s [but] big voices may not develop until even later.” In the mean time, there is a huge college debt and living expenses to contend with. “This burden,” he said, “is quite difficult to pay back when one must still pay for voice lessons, coaching, and language coachings etc. in order to continue furthering one’s career.” And even when lucky enough to find a young artists program that is suitable, he pointed out, “there is a price to pay: many of the companies that so generously give out roles to their younger artists do not pay them adequately. There is a bit of a ‘Catch 22,’ to all this, he said: Many small companies wouldn’t survive if they had to pay higher wages, but in paying what they do, many singers barely survive after expenses.

If it all sounds discouraging, it isn’t – at least not to a single singer we talked with. Ayers, for one, said he is actually one of the lucky ones because he has an agent, Pinnacle Arts Management, to help guide his career and “book auditions that are otherwise unavailable to the aspiring singer.” Ms. Kizart, who just landed representation from Tim Menah, Senior Artistic Manager of Askonas Hold Ltd., London, is similarly upbeat in her career advancement. "As one of the world's leading arts manageemt agencies, my manager and his entire firm serve as my representative."

Other are even more philosophical, like mezzo turned very gifted soprano, Elizabeth Baldwin, who at 25 is still a student at Indiana University, and planning on working for her Doctorate next year. Of the competition she said, her thought was, “Okay, I’ll give it a shot,” and she did, and was actually surprised when she heard back that she made it to the finalist stage. For her efforts, she was awarded ‘The Micki Savin Award’ and a check in the amount of $1,000. “I’m only 25,” she said in the hallway of the theater, never losing the broad smile that lit up her face. "A lot of people said give it another year.” She paused for a moment and still smiling, added, “So maybe this will be my year.”

It’s the devotion and determination of young singers in the free market of voice that inspires those of us who sit on the sidelines to reach out and help as best we can. And for others, like Ms. Kizart, it's all that and more. Throughout her interview she invokes a deep-rooted faith in her mission, and God's hand in directiung her along a career path He set before her. "As a singer and performer since the tender age of two," she said, "I consider each audition an opportunity to motivate and inspire. The most enriching of all experiences is to be called by God to share my gifts with the world."

This is the caliber of singer in Connecticut Opera Guild's 53rd Annual Vocal Competition. These are the voices and the poersonalities that are opera's future.

It’s an axiom in the business that establishing one’s roots can be expensive and that it takes its toll. Gonzalez summed it up plainly: “It’s tough having a family and being in this business.” It’s so stressful, he confided, that he even considered quitting altogether at one point. After hearing his incredibly agile and textured voice (tenor), as well as watching the fervor of his performance, it’s hard to imagine his absence being anything less than a major loss to the operatic community as a whole. Thankfully, he won’t be going anywhere soon. “I’m on the right track now,” he told OperaOnline.us, “and I’m going to keep going until something good happens.”

Soprano Jacqueline Goldgorin, a Sound Beach N.Y. native and recipient of “The Ilene D. Kaplan Award,” and a check in the amount of $500 echoed the view of many when she said, “a singer has to absolutely love this art in order to be crazy enough to want to pursue it as a career. There are so many things that I’ve had to come to peace with in order to become comfortable with the fact that I will not be as financially comfortable or sure about the future as I would be with a more conventional career choice.”

"This is not the cheapest of career paths," said Kizart. Every penny, she continued, "is used to invest in me and my career as a vocal artist. An exhorbitant amount of money is required to supply application fees, travel arrangements that charge for changes, hotel accommodations, audition attire, technoloogical support and materials, recording equipment, accompanist fees, health and beauty aids, study materials, and the myriad of classes and coachings needed to assist me in enriching my artistioc skills. All of this in addition to providing a place to live and food to eat is beyond challenging." Even with all this, she said, expressing the view of all, its worth it if it opens one door, presents itself with one opportunity to move forward, or results in one helpful contact.

Bass-baritone Colin Brady, who made it to the finalist stage this year and won two Guild awards in the past, views the whole process philosophically. A substitute teacher by profession, Brady, who exhibits a healthy view of the operatic challenge, says the competition circuit keeps him busy. “I did a whole lot of auditions in the fall,” he said, when asked how his career was going. “I’m just doing the young artists thing now where you just keep trekking on and getting better.” Not discouraged at all by the grind, he said he was actually pleased with his progress, pointing to a Wagner audition and a San Antonia Opera competition before the end of the month.

Still others, like Philadelphia tenor Gregorio Gonzales, winner of the ‘Judith Bardi Rosenthal Award,’ and a check for $2,500, has sung on the main stage with both Connecticut Opera, as a baritone twice, and with Los Angeles Opera, as a baritone three times. He’ll be seen and heard again in LA’s upcoming ‘Luisa Fernanda.’ With this exposure one might think he had it made. Gonzalez pointed out, however, that even though he had sung on the main stage with major companies, competitions and auditions are still the best way to get more work. “I’ve been doing a lot of auditions everywhere, even in Europe,’ he said, noting that he spent three years in Europe “to try my luck, hoping that a lot of work will come my way.” He’s back in the United States now.

Mezzo-soprano, Meredith Zeigler, past and current winner of ‘The Samuel and Norma Elli and Charlotte Miller Sutner Award,’ agreed. When she competes, she said, its contacts that count, not just prizes. Why compete? It’s simple, she said: “To gain exposure first off. It’s a great way for people in the industry who might not get an opportunity to hear you otherwise. They view you differently in a competition than they do in an audition. In an audition they say: ‘Are we going to hire you’? or, ‘Do we want you or not’? or, ‘Are you going to fit the costume’? In a competition they just get a sense of you as an artist and your voice.”

In all aspects, The Connecticut Opera Guild Vocal Competition proved itself a winner. I first became attracted to compete in 2006. I am aware of several colleagues who profited greatly from this particular competition by being awarded leading roles on the stage of The Connecticut Opera. Also, Hartford is not ridiculously far from Philadelphia and the probability of winning money to cover the travel and lodging costs was great. It proved a profitable venture and resulted in my $1,000 D’esopo Award win. It was such a positive experience and the amazing support and encouragement from the Connecticut Opera Guild Committee members made my return imperative.