Now entering its 16th year, the Houston District was indefatigably led by Rhonda Sweeney for its first fifteen years. In 2025, Luke Sutliff became the first Houston District Winner to advance to the National Finals and be named a National Winner. Many of our singers have gone on to careers across the globe. Three of the Laffont Competition’s 2026 National Winners—Anna Thompson, Elizabeth Hanje, and Shannon Crowley—had strong ties to Houston. Most had auditioned for our District in previous years, some advancing to the Regional level and others subsequently winning in other Regions. Many of our winners come from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music. Many are tapped to join one of the world’s premier young artists programs, the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio. Former Houston District Winners have also graced HGO’s stage, among them Thomas Glass and Lauren Snouffer. In its first fifteen years, the Houston District has grown and awarded more than $110,000 in prizes.
Our urls are https://hub.yourresonance.com/organizations/houston-district
and https://www.facebook.com/MetCompHouston
The Houston District’s four 2026 Winners—Caitlin Aloia, Tzvi Bat Asherah, Catherine Creed, and Colin Miller—and Encouragement Award recipients Timothy Anderson, Sophia Grace Donelan, and Ryan Smith continue to develop their careers through professional engagements, young artist programs, and advanced studies. Soprano Caitlin Aloia, who holds a master’s degree and Artist Diploma from Rice, joined Des Moines Metro Opera’s 2026 apprentice program, participating in King Roger and opera scenes. She also performed with Pittsburgh Festival Opera and the Woodlands Chorale, received a Pasadena Vocal Competition Career Grant, and returns to MATCH Houston in October for a program featuring Bach’s Coffee Cantata. Bass-baritone Tzvi Bat Asherah, a recent graduate of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, has joined the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio for the 2026–27 season. Following summer appearances in Eugene Onegin at Santa Fe Opera, he is scheduled to perform in HGO’s Family Day production of The Magic Flute and in Der Rosenkavalier. His recent engagements also include performances with Ars Lyrica Houston, and he won First Place and the People’s Choice Award at the 2026 Dallas Opera National Vocal Competition. Soprano Catherine Creed completed her graduate studies at Rice in May and performed at Bard SummerScape and the Bard Music Festival, appearing in Die ägyptische Helena, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and recital programs. Her upcoming engagements include the Gerda Lissner and Sullivan Foundation competitions in New York and a February 2027 concert with the Evansville Philharmonic featuring Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate and Poulenc’s Gloria. Tenor Colin Miller, also a recent Rice graduate, is Utah Opera’s resident tenor for 2026–27. After a summer at Des Moines Metro Opera, where he covered in Tosca, his Utah schedule includes concerts with the Utah Symphony, its annual Messiah Sing-In at Abravanel Hall, and a cover assignment in Don Giovanni. Tenor Timothy Anderson, studying in Rice’s graduate vocal program, was a 2026 Des Moines Metro Opera apprentice following appearances in Wolf Trap Opera’s 2025 Dialogues of the Carmelites. He is scheduled to appear in the Shepherd School of Music’s fall production of Ariadne auf Naxos. Soprano Sophia Grace Donelan has joined Shreveport Opera’s resident artist program after completing her master’s degree at Rice and spending summer 2026 at Opera Neo in San Diego, where she covered in the U.S. premiere of Louise Bertin’s Fausto. Her Shreveport season includes Hansel and Gretel, Susannah, and Viva la Mamma!. Tenor Ryan Smith continues his master’s studies at Rice, where he appeared in Falstaff this spring. His recent activities include Rusalka in Chicago, and like Timothy, he is scheduled to appear in Rice’s Ariadne auf Naxos.
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 and 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.
Contact Houston District Director, Richard Haney-Jardine via Resonance with any questions. and concerns. If he is unable to answer your questions or concerns, he will direct you to the staff of the Met's Laffont Competition in New York City. In an emergency, you can also reach out to us at MetCompHouston@gmail.com
The Houston District Auditions will be held on Saturday, January 9, 2027 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm in Duncan Recital Hall located inside the Alice Pratt Brown Hall at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music of 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005.
The Houston District Auditions will be held on Saturday, January 9, 2027 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm in Duncan Recital Hall located inside the Alice Pratt Brown Hall at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music of 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005.
All singers should wear attire appropriate for a concert performance. Please arrive at Rice University’s Duncan Recital Hall, located in Alice Pratt Brown Hall, at least three hours before your scheduled audition time. Submit a brief biographical statement of no more than 150 words directly to Richard Haney-Jardine, Houston District Director, via Resonance by December 1 for inclusion in the program. The Artist Form is also due December 1, 2026 so that audition programs can be prepared and published on time. If you need to cancel, please notify the Met’s Laffont Competition national office as soon as possible, as singers may still be on the waiting list.
Please bring all your printed scores with you on the day of your audition, including scores for arias you have substituted subsequent to relevant deadlines. Please also bring four copies of the list of arias you will be singing if they are different than the ones you included through your artist portal on Resonance. Please
Contact Houston District Director, Richard Haney-Jardine via Resonance with any questions. and concerns. If he is unable to answer your questions or concerns, he will direct you to the staff of the Met's Laffont Competition in New York City. In an emergency, you can also reach out to us at MetCompHouston@gmail.com
