South Delta Secondary grad Natalie Image is among the finalists for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
She says it seemed "very unreal" to find out she was a finalist.
"This wouldn't have been possible without the support of my teachers and coaches, and, of course, the constant support of my parents since I began singing lessons at age eight," she tells the Optimist in an email.
Image, who graduated from SDSS in 2010 and is currently finishing her master's degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, will perform Sunday at the Grand Finals Concert in New York.
"For over 60 years, the annual competition has helped launch the careers of countless young singers, including some of opera's greatest stars," the Metropolitan Opera's website states. It also notes the finalists are competing for cash prizes and "the chance to launch a major operatic career."
Image explains young singers across North America go through four stages of competitions: district, regional, semifinal and final.
"Each level requires you to prepare four or five opera arias, which singers spend months learning and perfecting," she says.
