Two Winners Named in
2026-27 Utah District Competition
Isabelle Kosempa and Colin Miller were named winners of the 2026-27 Utah District round of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, held on October 31, 2026. Each of the winners will receive a cash prize of $1,250. The judges also awarded five encouragement awards of $500 to Michelle Bawden, Alondra Gutierrez, Lydia Hall, Ashtyn Hammond-Kauvaka, and Olatz Unamuno Omagogeascoa. The audience voted Michelle Bawden as their favorite singer of the day.
The judges for the competition were Deborah Birnbaum, voice teacher and breath support specialist; Christopher Hahn, General Director Emeritus of Pittsburgh Opera; and Dan Novak, Vice President and Director of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center.
The winners of the Utah District will compete in the Rocky Mountain Region Competition on February 13, 2027, along with the winners of the Colorado-Wyoming, Mexico, and Arizona districts. Approximately 20-25 first place winners from regions throughout the Americas will receive a cash prize and compete in the National Semifinals on March 14, 2027. Approximately 10 singers will then compete at the National Grand Finals Concert on March 21, 2027. Approximately four to six singers will be named Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition Winners, each receiving a cash prize and invaluable career-making exposure.
Isabelle Kosempa, a 24-year-old mezzo-soprano and native of Durham, North Carolina, earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Master of Music from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. She is currently a Utah Opera Resident Artist, where she will perform the alto solos in Messiah with the Utah Symphony, Tisbe in Cinderella, and Calligraphy Teacher in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs . isabellekosempa.com
Colin Miller, a 25-year-old tenor originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. He was previously a winner in the Houston and Colorado/Wyoming Districts of the Laffont Competition and is currently a Utah Opera Resident Artist where he will perform the tenor solos in Messiah with the Utah Symphony. colinmiller.com
Michelle Bawden, a 28-year-old soprano from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, holds advanced degrees from the University of Ottawa and McGill University, and was a 2025 Artist in Residence with the Franz Schubert Institute. michellebawden.com
Alondra Gutierrez, a 20-year-old soprano from Ogden, Utah, is a student at Brigham Young University working toward a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance.
Lydia Hall, a 21-year-old soprano from Kingston, Pennsylvania, is a student at Brigham Young University working toward a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance.
Ashtyn Hammond-Kauvaka, a 24-year-old soprano from Greenville, South Carolina, is a student at Brigham Young University working toward a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance.
Olatz Unamuno Omagogeascoa, a 21-year-old mezzo-soprano from Gauteguiz Arteaga, Spain, is a student at Southern Utah University working toward a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance.
Visit the 2026 performers page to see information about all 25 singers who competed in the October 31, 2026 Utah District round of the competition.
The Met’s Laffont Competition—previously known as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions—is designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers. It is sponsored by hundreds of donors and volunteers from across North and South America. Some of today’s greatest singers got their starts in the competition, including Jamie Barton, Stephanie Blythe, Lawrence Brownlee, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Emily D’Angelo, Michael Fabiano, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Ryan Speedo Green, Lisette Oropesa, Eric Owens, and Nadine Sierra.
Learn more at metopera.org/about/auditions/competition/.
Ashtyn Hammond-Kauvaka
Lydia Hall
Alondra Gutierrez
Michelle Bawden
Colin Miller
Isabelle Kosempa
Pictured (left to right) Michelle Bawden, Lydia Hall, Olatz Unamuno Omagogeascoa, Alondra Gutierrez, Ashtyn Hammond-Kauvaka, Isabelle Kosempa, and Colin Miller
Olatz Unamuno Omagogeascoa
The Utah District round of the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition is supported in part by tthe residents of Salt Lake County through the Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) Program and the University of Utah School of Music.
