
Demetrious Sampson has been a standout student in the opera scene not only in Atlanta but also across the nation.
This past weekend, Demetrious traveled to New York to audition for the Opera Index vocal competition, whose mission is to assist young singers in the early stages of their careers with cash awards. After completing advancing through two rounds of auditions, he was awarded an "emerging artist award" and is coming home with an extra $2,000 in his pocket.
“It was a big deal for me to be in the same room with these soon-to-be opera titans, but then also recognize that I’m literally singing with them in this competition,” Sampson said.
Opera Index, an outgrowth of The New York Opera Club, was founded in the late 1950's. The vocal competition began in 1984 and has become one of the premiere competitions in the United States, awarding $1.2 million to more than 400 young singers. Demetrious' name will be added to the lists alongside Stephanie Blythe (1996), Michael Fabiano (2007), Christine Goerke (1995), Susan Graham (1987), Angela Meade (2006), Lisette Oropesa (2006), Ailyn Perez (1999), Nadine Sierra (2010) and Christian Van Horn (2003).