The National Opera Association is pleased to announce the winners of the following competitions held at the 2026 annual conference, held in Boston, MA at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. NOA extends our enthusiastic congratulations to all our winners!

Dominick Argento Chamber Opera Competition

Winner: So You May Breathe in Light with Music by Theo Chandler and a Libretto by Lydia Hwang and Theo Chandler 

Carolyn Bailey Argento Vocal Competition

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ARTIST DIVISION

1st Place: David Khang

2nd Place: Yonghyur Kim

3rd Place: Laura Corina Sanders 

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SCHOLARSHIP DIVISION

1st Place: Stella Fitzgerald

2nd Place: Isabelle Rose Kosempa

3rd Place: Claire Burreson

Todd Duncan Legacy Award: Edward Ferran 

Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition

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OPERA DIVISION I

1st Place: Pepperdine University for Speed Dating Tonight

2nd Place: Baylor University for Little Women

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MUSIC THEATRE

1st Place: Samford University for On the Town

2nd Place: Pepperdine University for Sweeney Todd

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OPERA DIVISION II

1st Place: University of Maryland for Florencia en el Amazonas

2nd Place: Baylor University for Die Fledermaus

Poster Session Winners

1st Place: Klark Johnson and Tessa Jensen-Hedgecock for The Games Opera Singers Play: Teaching Opera Through Oral-Kinetic Etudes 

2nd Place: Casey Joiner-Isaacs for “Slip-casting:” Measurable Solutions for Collegiate Opera Programs

Honorable Mention: Danielle Buonaiuto and Maria S. Maxfield for Demanding DEI: Cultivating Care Initiatives for Emerging Singers and Young Artists of Marginalized Identities

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UNDERGRADUATE WINNERS

1st Place: Bryce Comeaux and Ella Selden for Learning Music in a Mental Minefield: Pushing through the mental barriers of learning disabilities in music comprehension and discipline

2nd Place: Ocean Augustus Toomey for Trans Voices and Gender Affirming Art Songs

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The National Opera Association offers numerous competitions each year which support the foundation of the future of opera and celebrate the work of singers, faculty, composers, librettists, stage directors, and researchers. Visit the competition page for more information.