Competition Winners
Recent Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Singers who have won major vocal competitions are almost too numerous to list. Here are some of the awards that these outstanding singers garnered in 2023. (Please see a separate posting (June 2023) about winners of the 2023 Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition at the Metropolitan Opera of New York, formerly known as the National Council Auditions.)
Operalia took place in Cape Town in 2023. Two winners of this prestigious international contest boast SFO connections:
Luke Sutliff, Apprentice Singer 2021 and 2022. Luke sang the title role in the opening night performance of Orfeo in 2023, and will sing the role of Belcore in our 2024 production of Elixir of Love.
Elena Villalón portrayed Nannetta in our 2022 production of Falstaff, and she will sing the role of Sheila in the world premiere of The Righteous in our 2024 season. Elena was to be an Apprentice in 2020 before it was cancelled due to COVID. She was awarded a 2022 Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation.
The Sullivan Foundation awarded seven grants of $10,000 each, six of which went to former SFO Apprentice Singers:
Amber R. Monroe, Apprentice Singer 2023
Murrella Parton, Apprentice Singer 2022
Teresa Perrotta, Apprentice Singer 2021 and 2022, and returning as Donna Anna in our 2024 Don Giovanni
Meridian Prall, Apprentice Singer 2023
Michelle Mariposa, Apprentice Singer 2023
Le Bu, Apprentice Singer 2023
The Sullivan Foundation also awarded $2,500 Career Development Grants. A total of six were granted, and two went to former SFO Apprentice Singers:
Lawrence Barasa, Apprentice Singer 2023
Thomas Cilluffo, Apprentice Singer 2021 and 2022
The Loren L. Zachary Foundation made grants to:
Le Bu, Apprentice Singer 2023
Luke Harnish, Apprentice Singer 2023 and 2024
Congratulations to all Santa Fe Opera Singing Apprentices. The Santa Fe Opera Guild is so proud of your accomplishments. We look forward to seeing you in the Crosby Theatre and on stages around the world.
We also wish to acknowledge Apprentice Singer Program Director Gayletha Nichols, Manager Chandler Johnson, Chorus Master Susanne Sheston, and Chief Artistic Officer David Lomeli for providing the leadership that makes the Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Singer program one of the very best.
Photo credits:
Lawrence Barasa – photo: Caitlin Oldham
Michelle Mariposa – photo: Curtis Brown
Amber Monroe – photo: Caitlin Oldham
Meridan Prall – photo: Dario Acosta