The mission of the Met Competition is to discover exceptional young talent and provide a venue for young opera singers across North America at all levels of development to be heard by representatives of the Metropolitan Opera and to assist those with the greatest potential for operatic careers.

For over 60 years, the competition has helped launch the careers of young singers, including some of opera's greatest stars. Every season, over 100 former participants appear on the Met roster.

Formerly known as the National Council Auditions, in May 2021 the competition was renamed the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition in recognition of a generous gift from the Laffont family.