Listen at 7 p.m. today: Met Opera National Council Grand Finals Concert

Listen at 7 p.m. today to hear emerging voices in the opera world, with the Metropolitan Opera National Council Grand Finals Concert.

The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions is a program designed to discover promising young opera singers and help them develop their careers. It started in the 1930s with a radio program called The Auditions of the Air. Every Sunday, listeners would hear four artists in what was basically a public audition to sing with the Metropolitan Opera. It was modeled after the Major Bowes Amateur Hour, a popular radio talent show. But from the start, there was an emphasis on artistic integrity, and all of the contestants were coached by the Met's artistic staff.

Season 1 had 14 episodes and, just like American Idol, listeners were encouraged to write in with their votes. As the program grew, so did the quality of the contestants. By the early 1950s, The Auditions of the Air had become a national institution. During that decade, it was transferred to the National Council, which offered more stability and recruiting power. There was even a local hero, Vivian O'Gara Weyerhaeuser of St. Paul. Auditions were set up in Minnesota and many other states around the country.

Eventually, four rounds were developed going from the district level, to regional, to the semifinals and then the final round. In Thursday's program, from March 1, you'll hear the nine finalists of 2020. Each one sings two arias, accompanied by the Met Opera orchestra. They range in age from 23 to 29, and they come from Kentucky, Texas, New York, Georgia, Utah, California, Michigan, Mexico and China.

The onstage host is soprano Lisette Oropesa. She was one of the winners in 2005 and made her Met Opera debut the following year. Oropesa remembers her experience quite clearly and says she was, "Nervous and excited, but somehow not afraid."