Backstage at the 2006 auditions, Colleen Lauve pulled aside the curtin for contestant Brian Tierney. David Perry | Herald-Leader.

This year’s Kentucky District round of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions will be an event of Wagnerian proportions, at least in length.

With 25 hopefuls, Saturday’s presentation of the Kentucky District Auditions at the University of Kentucky’s Memorial Hall will roll its start time back from 1 p.m. to 10 a.m.

The morning session will go to 12:30 p.m. After a half-hour break, the auditions will resume at 1 p.m. and go until their usual late-afternoon conclusion — just about the amount of time you might need to squeeze in a production of Die Walküre.

The district auditions are open to anyone who wants to give it a shot, and often feature 14-16 hopefuls. In the past, the Kentucky District has had as many as 20 auditioners.

Auditions chair Dr. Clifton Smith took the preponderance of Kentucky District applicants as a sign that word has gotten out that the Bluegrass State edition is well-run, attracts a strong panel of judges, and gives out attractive prizes. He noted that Saturday’s field will include singers from New York and Chicago, as well as hopefuls from Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Indiana. The three winners Saturday will get $1,500 each and they will advance to the Tri-State Regional Round Jan. 16 at Butler University in Indianapolis. Next stop after that is the National Semi-Final round at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Saturday’s judges will include Met luminaries including bass Richard Best, soprano Carol Vaness and tenor Douglas Ahlstedt.

Since moving to UK’s Memorial Hall in 2000, the auditions have proved popular among music fans who regularly pack Memorial Hall. Admission is free.