The annual auditions for singers who are promising in the Wagner repertoire were organizaed by Scott Carlton, Artistic Director of Singers Programs, and were held on October 18, 2021. The panel of judges consisted of Scott Carlton, Ken Benson, Carole Farley, and Eve Queler. Nathalie Wagner attended ex officio.

Following is the list of 2021 award recipients:

Errin Duane Brooks, tenor – $6,000 Robert Lauch Award

Mr. Brooks was an Emerging Artist with Chicago Opera Theater from 2013-15 after receiving his Master of Music degree from Bowling Green State University and his Bachelor of Music degree from Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan. Errin currently resides in Detroit, Michigan. During the 2021-2022 season, Errin Brooks returns to The Metropolitan Opera on opening night of the season singing all 8 performances of the role of Adult Nathan in the New production of Fire Shut Up in My Bones as well as singing all 13 performances of the role of Mingo in the revival of Porgy and Bess, which served as his Metropolitan Opera Debut role in 2019. Click here for more. Ms. Zory is an alumna of the Juilliard School, Ithaca College, and CUNY Hunter College. She studies with Pamela Kucenic and coaches with Carole Farley. She has an exciting 2022 season lined up. Performances with The Metropolitan Opera Guild in “The Puccini Showcase” at Lincoln Center, as Turandot, Tosca, and Minnie, returning to the Benderly-Kendall Opera house for a recital with the Santa Cruz Foundation for the Performing Arts, concerts at Weill Hall and the National Opera Center with ACMA (Association of Classical Musicians and Artists), and a world premiere of composer David Pearson’s “Anti-Imperialist Song Cycle”. Click here for more.

Additional awards were give to:
 

• Heather Hjelle, soprano – $1,000 Encouragement Grant. A Minnesota native, Heather earned a degree in Theatre with a minor in music from Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, where she will be returning in the fall to join the music faculty. made her professional debut with the role of Santuzza in Main Street Opera’s production of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, the same year she covered Metropolitan Opera soprano Alexandra LoBianco in the same role with Opera Steamboat. Click here for more.
• Karolina Pilou, mezzo soprano – $2,000 Encouragement Grant. Hailed as having a “massive, sinfully rich voice” (New York Observer), Greek mezzo-soprano Karolina Pilou is quickly establishing her self as an exciting young dramatic mezzo-soprano to look out for. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2016-17 season as Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, conducted by Maurizio Benini. Since her debut she has returned to The Metropolitan Opera for several seasons as The voice from Above in Parsifal (2017/18) conducted by Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Albine (cover) in Thaïs and Mistress Quickly (cover) in Verdi's Falstaff. Click here for more.
• Andrew Richardson, bass baritone – $1,000 Encouragement Grant. Richardson finished his graduate work at Indiana University and his undergraduate work at DePauw University. He was a young artist with Sarasota Opera where he made his debut as the Doctor in Dialogue of the Carmelites. While a young artist with Palm Beach Opera, Richardson covered Scarpia in Tosca, Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, and was the bass soloist for Beethoven’s 9th with the Florida Atlantic Symphony. Click here for more.
• Joseph Sacchi, tenor – $2,000 Encouragement Grant. New York City resident Josepht Sacchi was a Participant of the 2016 Prelude to Performance - Young Artist Opera Program presented by the Martina Arroyo Foundation, and a 2019 Resident Artist at Opera North, where he sang the role of Malcolm in Macbeth. Mr. Sacchi holds a Masters Degree in Music, Voice and Opera from Manhattan School of Music.

We are pleased to recognize their talents and wish them the best in their career development.