
Geonho Lee Crowned Victor of the Houston Grand Opera’s 2025 Concert of Arias
By David Salazar(Photo credit: Michael Bishop)
Geonho Lee has been crowned the winner of the Houston Grand Opera’s 2025 Concert of Arias.
The South Korean baritone, a current student at thhe University of Music and Theatre Munich, took home the $25,000 cash prize during the final event of the 37th Annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers on Jan. 17, 2025. Lee was also the recipient of the Audience Choice Award and the $5,000 cash prize that comes with it.
Coming in second place was Georgian tenor Luka Tsevelidze, who is a student at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire. He earned $15,000 for his efforts.
Lauren Carroll, a U.S. soprano who is a Young Artist with Palm Beach Opera and a former Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera, came in third and received a $10000 cash prize.
As for the vaunted Ana María Martínez Encouragement Award, that prize of $2,000 went to soprano Romanian Daria Lupu, who has performed at the Bucharest National Opera, Romanian Athenaeum, and Radio Hall. She was also a finalist at the 2024 Sumi Jo International Singing Competition and represented her country at the 2023 Voix Nouvelles Semifinal in Paris.
“Tonight’s competition was a wonderful display of talent, excellence, and joy. These young singers gave their all tonight, and the result was thrilling,” said Khori Dastoor, the Houston Grand Opera General Director and CEO as well as one of the jury members. “The opportunity to experience our finalists perform their arias accompanied by our fabulous HGO Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Gaffigan, made the evening incredibly special. My heart is full—of beauty, inspiration, and gratitude for the next generation of artists, who hold the future of our art form in their hands.”
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