Opera Idaho proudly hosted the 2026 Idaho–Montana District of the Eric & Dominique Laffont Competition, a program of the Metropolitan Opera that identifies and supports promising young opera singers at the early stages of their careers. Emerging artists from Idaho, Montana, and neighboring regions travel to Boise to audition for a panel of professional judges and compete for cash prizes and advancement to the regional round.
Many of today’s leading opera artists first participated in this competition, including Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Lawrence Brownlee, Jamie Barton, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Lisette Oropesa, and Nadine Sierra.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition this past weekend. From the courageous singers who shared their artistry, to the adjudicators, pianists, volunteers, and the audiences who filled the room with encouragement, your presence made this event truly special.
To the singers: thank you for your vulnerability, preparation, and commitment to your craft. To our audience members and supporters: thank you for showing up with open ears and open hearts, and for championing the next generation of opera artists.
Artists
In performance order:
Hart Chen
Tenor
10:00 am
Rick Hale
Tenor
10:12 am
Calysta Jacobs
Soprano
10:24 am
Kathleen Simunek
Mezzo-soprano
10:36 am
Kaylyn Taylor Baldwin
Soprano
10:48 am
Yuxuan Lin
Soprano
11:00 am
Break from 11:12 – 11:27 am
Conor Brereton
Tenor
11:27 am
Søren Pedersen
Baritone
11:39 am
Elena McKenna
Soprano
11:51 am
Despina Dassouras
Soprano
12:03 pm
Yining Xie
Soprano
12:15 pm
Alex Hetherington
Mezzo-soprano
12:27 pm
Ana Paola Vergara Abascal Sherwell
Soprano
12:39 pm
Lunch from 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Kristen Marie Gillis
Soprano
2:00 pm
Danlei Zhao
Mezzo-soprano
2:12 pm
Brayden Olson
Baritone
2:24 pm
Jack Keller
Tenor
2:36 pm
Clara Reeves
Soprano
2:48 pm
Break from 3:00 – 3:15 pm
Raine Filbert
Mezzo-soprano
3:15 pm
Elisabeth Williams
Soprano
3:27 pm
Lena Goldstein
Soprano
3:39 pm
Gabriela Comeau Gort
Mezzo-soprano
3:51 pm
Alexandria McNeely
Soprano
4:03 pm
Special Thanks
Philanthropic supporters
Barry Klezmer & Steven Sterns • Roy Mansell • Max Bearden • Sue & Stan Fornander
Mary & Boyd Leavitt • Rebecca & David Jauquet • Christine & Bill Avey • Adrian San Miguel & Jim Davis-San Miguel
2025-26 SEASON FACT SHEET
- In May 2021, in recognition of a generous gift by the Laffont family, the National Council Auditions were renamed the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition.
- The National Council was formed in 1952 with the Competition rounds beginning officially in 1954. These succeeded the Auditions of the Air, a radio competition which began in 1935.
- Semifinalists will travel to New York on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
- Semifinals will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
- The Grand Finals Concert will be held on Sunday, March 22, 2026.
- There are 5 rounds of the competition: Qualifying, District, Region, Semifinals, Finals
- There are 39 Districts and 13 Regions in the 2025-26 season.
- District competitions take place throughout the Americas.
- Last season, almost 1,500 singers applied for the Qualifying video round of the Competition.
- Approximately 20-25 Region first place winners are brought to New York City as Semifinalists.
- Approximately 9-12 Semifinalists advance to the Grand Finals Concert as Finalists.
- Approximately 4-6 Finalists are selected as Laffont Competition Winners.
- Semifinalists receive $5,000, Finalists receive $10,000 and Winners receive $20,000.
- The Semifinals take place on the Met stage with piano and are closed to the general public. Our Competition volunteers are invited guests, while the public can view the livestream video broadcast.
- The Grand Finals Concert is a public, ticketed event at the Met, and singers are accompanied by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
- Over 100 former Met Competition singers are on the Met’s roster annually.