Now in its 69th year, the competition (known previously as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions) is designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers.
The finalists, culled from over 1,200 applicants, competed in New York City on April 23, performing two arias accompanied by the world-famous Metropolitan Opera Orchestra conducted by Michele Gamba.
This pre-recorded concert presents arias performed by the competition’s ten finalists. The program will conclude with the announcement of the winners. The winners include tenor Anthony León, mezzo-soprano Natalie Lewis, soprano Teresa Perrotta, mezzo-soprano Sarah Saturnino, bass-baritone Christian Simmons, and soprano Meredith Wohlgemuth. Each of the winners will receive a $20,000 cash prize. The other four finalists, including Eleomar Cuello, Yuntong Han, David Wolfe, and Sahel Salam, will take home $10,000 each.
The winners, who received individual cash prizes of $20,000, were chosen by a panel of administrators from major opera companies.
The Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition is a career-making opportunity for aspiring opera singers, given the reach of the auditions and the number of applicants. The Laffont Competition is open to singers from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as other international entrants training or residing in those countries.
This season, the competition had more than 1,200 applicants, with more than 900 singers qualifying, and only 10 chosen as finalists. The competition has been crucial in introducing many of today’s best-known opera stars, including Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Eric Owens, Stephanie Blythe, Lawrence Brownlee, Latonia Moore, Ryan Speedo Green, and Nadine Sierra.
Learn more about this year's winner.
