Camila Romero & Valeria Delmé Win Inaugural South American Region Auditions for Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition
By David Salazar(Credit: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera)
The Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition has named Camila Romero of Chile and Valeria Delmé of Argentina as the winners of its inaugural South America Region auditions. Both sopranos will advance directly to the Semifinals of the competition, scheduled for March 15, 2026, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Romero and Delmé were selected by a jury led by Melissa Wegner, Executive Director of the Laffont Competition and the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. The panel also included Gerald Martin Moore, Head of Vocal Studies and Director of Yale Opera, and Chía Patiño, Professor at the University of Michigan.
Additional prizes were awarded to Peruvian soprano Maia Aramburú, who received second place, and Argentine bass Agustín Albornoz, who received third place. Finally, Colombian countertenor Nicolás Vera-Picón received a special recognition.
The final round took place at the Claudio Arrau Hall of the Teatro Municipal de Santiago and marked the first time the Laffont Competition concluded a regional stage in South America.
The South America Region auditions were presented in partnership with Fundación Ibáñez Atkinson.
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