The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, San Diego District

12/13/2025

🌎🎶We are thankful and grateful for the opportunity to help create a space where opera can grow and flourish in Southern California — and to connect our vibrant community with the rest of the world during the 71st season of The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, culminating locally with our San Diego District Winner’s Concert at the University of San Diego on Sunday, January 18th at 2:30 PM in Shiley Theatre🌎🎶

We look forward to seeing you there:)

Lyric Opera of Orange County
The Metropolitan Opera
Opera à la carte
San Diego Opera
SDSU Opera Theatre
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Pacific Opera Project
OPERA Wednesdays
La Jolla Community Center

11/30/2025

Today we’re excited to share insights from artist Lily Prado following her performance in this year’s competition.

And this holiday season, you can experience Lily live! She and her real-life husband, tenor Felipe Prado, join pianist Bruce Stasyna for an irresistible 45-minute program of festive music spanning centuries and styles at San Diego Opera’s Holiday Concert “Making Merry.”

Let’s continue celebrating our young artists, lifting each other up, and keeping opera thriving in SoCal and beyond.


The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition

11/19/2025

Keep an eye out for LA Opera and San Francisco Opera singers. That is who will represent the Western Region:)

The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition
The Metropolitan Opera
Opera Santa Barbara
SDSU Opera Theatre
Opera Neo
Lyric Opera of Orange County
Opera à la carte
San Diego Opera

2024-25 Laffont Competition Season✨

11/19/2025

11/16/2025

✨ Another incredible The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition is in the books! ✨

Congratulations to all the artists who shared their voices, their courage, and their artistry with us today. What an extraordinary group of singers — we are so proud of each of you!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make this event possible: our pianists, judges, volunteers, donors, production partners, and our supportive opera community.
It truly takes a village, and you showed up beautifully.

More updates, interviews, photos, and save-the-dates are coming in the next few days…

But for now, here is the live feed of the awards announcement 🎉👇



San Diego Opera
LA Opera
San Francisco Opera
The Metropolitan Opera

11/14/2025

🌙 One More Sleep Until… the Music Begins 🎶

Tomorrow, the stage lights rise, the pianists take their places, and a new chapter begins for a remarkable group of young artists.

The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition is more than a competition — it’s a celebration of dedication, artistry, and community. It truly takes a village to make moments like this possible — our singers, pianists, judges, volunteers, and supporters all play a vital role in keeping this tradition alive.

Each competitor brings their own story — their voice, their journey, their dreams — and tomorrow, they’ll share them with us through four pieces that represent their artistry at its finest.

✨One more step on the path from San Diego to the Met✨

We can’t wait to cheer them on and celebrate the next generation of opera excellence. 🌟

If you’d like to help support the competition and its mission, visit:
👉 moncsd.com/how-you-can-help

Introducing the San Diego District Singers!

Toi Toi Toi to all who will be competing this Saturday, November 15.

Gracyn Blu, Mezzo-Soprano
Alexandria Burdick, Soprano
Cassie Chang, Soprano
Xijin Chen, Soprano
Elora Dannan, Soprano
Catherine Durcan, Soprano
Jeffrey Goldberg, Baritone
Spencer Greene, Tenor
Vaana Zongxi He, Soprano
Franchesca Henry Solí­s, Soprano
Emily Holter, Soprano
Xiaofeng Hou, Tenor
Eliza Howells, Mezzo-Soprano
Stephan Lee, Tenor
Marielle Leiboff, Soprano
Aemilia Moser, Soprano
Sarah Nalty, Soprano
Rachel Nelson, Soprano
Yaffa Ovsishcher, Mezzo-Soprano
Lily Prado, Soprano
Ben Read, Tenor
Ian Schipper, Bass
Michael Segura, Baritone
Lewei Wang, Baritone

11/13/2025

🎶 The Stage Is Set — Let the Music Begin! 🎭

This weekend, we welcome our distinguished panel of judges and exceptional pianists to The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition

Behind every great singer stands a team of world-class artists and professionals who make the magic possible. Our judges bring expertise from opera houses, universities, and major stages across the globe — and our pianists are the heartbeat of every performance.

Meet them here:
🎵 Judges: moncsd.com/judges
🎹 Collaborative Pianists: moncsd.com/collaborative-pianist

We are deeply grateful for their artistry, time, and dedication to nurturing the next generation of opera stars. 🌟

As the first notes are sung and the stories unfold, we celebrate everyone who helps make this extraordinary event possible — onstage and off.

Praised for his “vibrant” performances (The New York Times), his “handsome” and “impressive bass” (Opera Today), and his “rich, agile sound” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel), bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi celebrates his 25th anniversary season at the Metropolitan Opera, where he has giv...

11/12/2025

🎶 What did you say?! 😄

You can’t wait until Saturday and want to see more opera today? Well, you’re in luck — there are two chances to experience world-class opera right here in San Diego!

🎬 1️⃣ The Metropolitan Opera HD Series presents an encore of La Bohème this afternoon at a theater near you!
👉 metopera.org/season/in-cinemas
👉 metopera.org/season/in-cinemas/encore-schedule/

🎭 2️⃣ OPERA Wednesdays continues its beloved monthly concert series this evening — live, local, and unamplified!
👉 ljcommunitycenter.org/opera-wednesdays

11/11/2025

🎭🎼 It’s all about the artists! 🎶🤩

The preparation is done — the singers and pianists are ready, and the judges are on their way!

This Saturday, The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition takes the stage, and we’re celebrating the incredible dedication it takes to reach this moment.

Today, we hear from 2024–25 competitor Leeza Yorke on her experience with the competition and what it means to share her artistry on this journey.

🎥 More of Leeza here: youtube.com/



Anthony Roth Costanzo

11/10/2025

Well, it's our time:)

We look forward to seeing you this Saturday, Nov. 15th at Point Loma Nazarene University for our all day The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition

More information here: www.moncsd.com

The Metropolitan Opera
San Diego Opera
Lyric Opera of Orange County
Genesis Opera Theatre
Cinballera Entertainment
Pacific Lyric Association Opera
Pacific Opera Project
LA Opera
Santa Fe Opera
SDSU Opera Theatre
Opera Neo
OPERA Wednesdays
Opera à la carte
Bach Collegium San Diego
San Francisco Opera
San Diego Children's Choir

10/29/2025

🎶🤡¿¡Trick or Treat?! 🎃👻

🎼How about both this weekend as San Diego Opera opens it's 61st season with Pagliacci 🤡

sdopera.org

💀
🐺

10/21/2025

🌟 From San Diego to the Met! 🌟

This week we celebrate one of our own: Bass-Baritone, Nicholas Newton (nicholasnewton.com), The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition Semi-Finals Award Winner and proud alumnus of the San Diego District.

Nicholas makes his Metropolitan Opera debut this season in La Sonnambula, continuing the legacy of excellence that has grown here in Southern California for 70 years.

His journey reminds us all that the path from San Diego to New York is very real—and it goes through the Western Region (SD, LA, SF:)

👏 Join us in cheering on Nicholas as he steps onto one of the greatest stages in the world!

If you missed the The Metropolitan Opera performance in cinemas www.metopera.org/season/in-cinemas/ ...There is still an opportunity to see an encore performance tomorrow:) www.metopera.org/season/in-cinemas/encore-schedule/

San Diego Opera
San Francisco Opera
LA Opera
Santa Fe Opera