The Metropolitan Opera has announced the winners of the 2026 Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition following its annual competition on March 22.

The winners were sopranos Shannon Crowley, Elizabeth Hanje, Song Hee Lee, and Anna Thompson; and baritones Gabriel Natal-Báez and Robert Wente. Each winner receives a $20,000 cash prize and the prestige, exposure, and networking opportunities that come with winning a renowned competition that has launched the careers of many of opera’s most well-known stars.

The remaining four non-winning finalists each received a $10,000 cash prize. The four were Sophia Baete, Gabrielle Turgeon, Dejah Watts, and Shiyu Zhuo.

The evening was hosted by soprano Lisette Oropesa, with soprano Tamara Wilson, a Laffont alumna, joining as guest artist.

The panel of judges for the Grand Finals Concert included Rupert Burleigh; Director of Music Administration, The Metropolitan Opera, Christopher Hahn; General Director, Pittsburgh Opera,  Michael Heaston; Deputy General Manager, The Metropolitan Opera, Brian Speck; Artistic Administrator, The Metropolitan Opera, Melissa Wegner; Executive Director, Laffont Competition and Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, The Metropolitan Opera, and Francesca Zambello; Artistic Director, Washington National Opera

Each singer performed two arias on the Met stage, accompanied by the Met Orchestra and conducted by Maestro Carlo Rizzi.

Previous winners of the Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition have been Renée Fleming, Denyce Graves, Eric Owens, Stephanie Blythe, Sondra Radvanovsky, Lawrence Brownlee, Michael Fabiano, Lisette Oropesa, Jamie Barton, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Ryan Speedo Green, and Nadine Sierra.

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