 Miss Auger began her professional singing career after winning the I. Viktor Fuchs Vocal Competition in Los Angeles in 1967, which brought her some singing engagements and airfare to Vienna; she also appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at this time.She was signed by the Vienna Staatsoper soon after her arrival there—despite her lack of knowledge of the German language—after impressing Josef Krips, remaining with the company for seven years.Her debut was in Mozart's "Die Zauberflöte" under Krips.