(Photo Credit: Michael Bishop)

Houston Grand Opera has announced the winners of the Concert of Arias at the 38th Annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers.

British soprano Scarlett Jones took home first place and the $25,000 prize. Currently pursuing her Master of Music at The Juilliard School as a Kovner Fellow, Jones recently performed Gertrude in Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” with Juilliard Opera and covered Ariadne in Strauss’s “Ariadne auf Naxos” with Dramatic Voices Berlin.

Meanwhile, Mexican tenor Misael Corralejo took both second place ($15,000) and the Audience Choice Award ($5,000). A member of the Mexico Opera Studio since 2024, Corralejo was named a National Finalist in the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and recently debuted as Rinuccio in “Gianni Schicchi.”

Earning third place and the $10,000 reward that comes with it was American mezzo-soprano Lauren Randolph. A Juilliard Kovner Fellow studying with Elizabeth Bishop, Randolph was recognized as a National Finalist in the Met’s Laffont Competition and recently performed Madame de Croissy in Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites.”

Finally, Ukrainian soprano Viktoriia Shamanska received the Ana María Martínez Encouragement Award ($2,000). Based in Poland and studying at the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music, she made her debut as Corinna in Rossini’s “Il viaggio a Reims” at the 2024 Rossini Opera Festival.

The seven finalists performed with the HGO Orchestra under Maestro Patrick Summers, HGO’s Artistic and Music Director. A distinguished panel including mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, casting consultant Julien Benhamou, and HGO General Director Khori Dastoor selected the winners from over 1,000 applicants.