THE SINGERS
Lauren Carroll, Soprano
Sadie Cheslak, Mezzo-Soprano
Laura Elena Fernandez, Soprano
Matthew Goodheart, Tenor
Alissa Goretsky, Soprano
Dylan Gregg, Bass-Baritone
Tessa McQueen, Soprano
Hannah Shea, Mezzo-Soprano
Ben Strong, Bass-Baritone
Catherine Thornsley, Soprano
Scroll down to see Photos and Bios!
THE FUTURE OF OPERA!
We invite the world’s top young rising opera
singers to compete for major cash prizes,
and we cast many of them in our operas
and concerts.
There are Two Competition Rounds:
Semi-Finals: April 16 at 3 pm
Finals: April 17 at 3 pm
The Judges make their decisions the evening of April 17, and they keep it a secret until the Awards Concert on April 18!
The Awards Concert is April 18 at 7 pm
with Master of Ceremonies Ian Campbell. All of the competitors sing a full concert for our Vero Beach Opera audience. The winners and encouragement awards are announced at the very end!
VBHS Performing Arts Center
1707 16th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960
THE PRIZES
First Prize is $10,000
Second Prize is $5,000
Third Prize is $3,000.
These are provided by The Kleinschmidt Family Foundation.
The remaining Singers all receive Cash Encouragement Awards which are provided by The Sergio Franchi Music Foundation, Louis L. Lawson Legacy Fund, In Memory of Sofia Blanchard, In Memory of Henri Lemoine, and The Windsor Charitable Foundation.
THE PIANIST
Anna Fateeva
Collaborative Pianist
Collaborative pianist Anna Fateeva has had the privilege of performing with distinguished artists such as Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Renée Fleming, Denyce Graves, Nadine Sierra, Vivica Genaux, Karim Sulayman, and Wendy Bryn Harmer, among others. Ms. Fateeva frequently performs with the Grammy-nominated ensemble Seraphic Fire and contributed as a collaborative pianist to their album Reincarnations. She is also a regular guest artist at IlluminArts events. Anna Fateeva has served as both a coach and rehearsal pianist for Palm Beach Opera and worked as a coach for the Florida Grand Opera’s Studio Artists. Her extensive experience as a pianist also includes collaborations with Opera Naples, Gulfshore Opera, and Vero Beach Opera. For several seasons, Ms. Fateeva has been the official pianist for both the Young Patronesses of the Opera Voice Competition and the Vero Beach Opera Rising Stars Vocal Competition. Since 2017, Dr. Fateeva has been a faculty member of the Miami Music Festival. In 2024, she began her role as a rehearsal pianist with the Florida Grand Opera. An active member of the Young Patronesses of the Opera since 2019, Anna currently serves her third consecutive year on the Executive Board.
THE JURY
Román Ortega-Cowan
President of the Jury
Artistic Advisor, Vero Beach Opera
Gregory Buchalter
Music Director, Vero Beach Opera
Assistant Conductor, Metropolitan Opera
Music Director and Conductor, Varna International
Susan Neves
Soprano, Metropolitan Opera
Scott Guzielek
President and Artistic Director, the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA)
Eva Franchi
Founder, The Sergio Franchi Music Foundation
Scroll down to see Photos and Bios!
Performance Space
We perform at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center, located at 1707 16th Street, Vero Beach, Florida 32960. The venue seats approximately 1,000 and is handicap-equipped.
THE SINGERS
(Names are in alphabetical order)
Lauren Carroll
Soprano
Iowa native Lauren Carroll is proving to be a young artist to watch. Houston Press praised her as “impressive and flawless in execution.” She is currently a Young Artist with Palm Beach Opera, covering Violetta (La Traviata) and Juliette (Roméo et Juliette), and making her debut as Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro). In summer 2025, she will sing Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte as a Fleming Artist at the Aspen Music Festival. Recently, Lauren won Third Prize in Houston Grand Opera’s 2025 Eleanor McCollum Competition and was named a National Semifinalist in the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. In 2024, Lauren was a Renée Fleming Artist at the Aspen Music Festival, singing Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel and Gerhilde in Die Walküre. She was an Apprentice Artist at Des Moines Metro Opera in 2022/2023, covering Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Frasquita (Carmen), among other roles. Lauren holds a Master’s in Vocal Performance from the Shepherd School of Music, where she performed Belinda (Dido & Aeneas), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), and Rose Maurrant (Street Scene). She also won numerous competitions, including the 2021 National Music Teachers National Competition and Schubert Club Competition.
Sadie Cheslak
Mezzo-Soprano
Sadie Cheslak is a mezzo-soprano originally from Duluth, Minnesota. In March, Sadie won the 2025 Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition, receiving The Birgit Nilsson Award of the American-Scandinavian Foundation. Recently, Sadie won third prize, The Luana DeVol Prize for the Dramatic Voice, at the 2024 SAS Performing Arts Vocal Competition, and fourth overall and the prize for Most Promising Voice of the Competition at the 2024 NATS Artist Awards. In January, Sadie covered the role of Madame de la Haltière in Massenet’s Cendrillon with Cedar Rapids Opera as a Smith Young Artist. This past summer, she sang at Wolf Trap Opera as a Studio Artist, featured in excerpts of Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice as Orphée, covered the alto soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and covered Mrs. Pascal in a workshop of The House of Yes by Kamala Sankaram. Excelling in contemporary opera, Sadie has workshopped roles like Lumee in prism by Ellen Reid (2019 Pulitzer Prize winner and Beth Morrison Project), Jane Doe in Black Square by Ilya Demutsky, and performing the title role in The Surrogate by Sky Macklay. This summer, Ms. Cheslak will join the acclaimed Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera as a Young Artist. Sadie earned a BM Voice Performance from Concordia College, her MM Voice Performance and Literature from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, and a Post-master’s Certificate in Voice from DePaul University.
Laura Elena Fernandez
Soprano
Laura Elena is a Cuban-American soprano from Miami, Florida. Described as a "sizeable soprano with a richly colored middle register" (South Florida Classical Review), Laura's full-lyric voice has earned her opportunities to perform some of the most dynamic roles in the operatic canon. This summer, Laura will be a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre St. Louis, where she will be covering several roles & performing in the ensembles. She has also received recognition in several prestigious competitions, including the Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (2024/2023/2021) and First Place at the St. Petersburg Opera Guild Competition (2023). She was also a finalist in the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation-Opera Naples International Voice Competition (2025). Among her recent roles are La Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro (Miami Beach Classical Music Festival), Magda Sorel in The Consul (San Francisco Conservatory of Music), Micaëla in Carmen (Miami Beach Classical Music Festival), and Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica (New York Lyric Opera Theatre). Laura has also had the opportunity to cover the title role in Suor Angelica (Opera Lucca) and perform in various other operatic works, such as La Bergère and La chouette in Ravel’s L’enfant et les Sortilèges (Stetson University) and Erste Dame in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Stetson University). Laura holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Stetson University and a Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Her studies at these institutions provided a foundation for her growth as an artist, refining her craft through scene work, main-stage performances, and exploration of new music.
Matthew Goodheart
Tenor
Matthew Goodheart is a lyric tenor from Binghamton, NY. Recent engagements include appearing as an apprentice artist at the Santa Fe Opera and covering Count Almaviva in Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia production. Looking ahead, he is scheduled to perform Handel’s Messiah with the Syracuse Symphony, will attend the Aix-en-Provence Festival Academy in the summer of 2025 and will debut with the Dallas Opera next season. Matthew holds a bachelor’s degree from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and spent 2 years as a Resident Artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts. While at AVA, Matthew performed notable roles such as Percy in Anna Bolena, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Alfredo in La Traviata. Additionally, he showcased scenes from L’Elisir d’Amore in conjunction with Opera Philadelphia’s Festival O23. Other role credits include Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and Count Belfiore in La Finta Giardiniera. In the summer of 2023, Matthew traveled to the Aspen Music Festival as a Fleming artist, where he sang the role of Ruben Iglesias in Jimmy López’s Bel Canto. His previous summer engagements include performing Gastone in La Traviata with Wolf Trap Opera, attending the Young Artist Vocal Academy at Houston Grand Opera, and studying at the Chautauqua Institution Opera Conservatory.
Alissa Goretsky
Soprano
Alissa Goretsky is a 2025 National Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition who recently won third place in the 2024 Houston Grand Opera Concert of Arias. She was the winner of the 2023 San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition, the first and grand prize winner of the 2022 Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition, a finalist in the 2022 Orpheus Competition, and a finalist in the 2021 Burbank Philharmonic Young Artist Competition. She made her operatic debut as Gismonda in Handel’s Ottone with San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Baroque Ensemble, and her recent roles also include the Foreign Woman in Menotti’s The Consul, the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Emilia in Handel’s Flavio, as well as covering Sister Alice and Sister Catherine in Dialogues des Carmélites at San Francisco Opera. She is currently a Ernest and Sarah Butler Young Artist at Houston Grand Opera, where she recently made her house debut as Clorinda in La Cenerentola and covered Mimì in La bohème. This coming summer, she will be an apprentice artist at the Santa Fe Opera, covering Helmwige in Die Walküre and Mimì. You can see her in Houston Grand opera’s 2025-2026 season as Gretel in Hänsel and Gretel (Family Days), Curley’s wife in Of Mice and Men, and Berta in Barber of Seville.
Dylan Gregg
Bass-Baritone
Dylan Gregg is from Salisbury, Maryland. He is making his debut as a Young Artist at Palm Beach Opera this year, singing the roles of The Duke in Roméo et Juliette, Marchese in La traviata and Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro. Dylan returned to The Santa Fe Opera for his second year as an Apprentice Artist and covered the role of Masetto in Don Giovanni. Last summer at Santa Fe, he covered the role of Plutone in Nico Muhly’s new orchestration of Monteverdi’s Orfeo and sang the role of Jailor in Tosca. He spent his 2022 through 2024 seasons at The Academy of Vocal Arts where he performed Leporello in Don Giovanni, Collantinus in The Rape of Lucretia, Enrico in Anna Bolena, and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Dylan was a studio artist at Wolf Trap Opera in 2022, singing the roles of Cuno in Der Freischütz, Elder Ott in Susannah, and Dottore Grenvil in La traviata. Mr. Gregg graduated with his Master of Music in Vocal Performance from The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and earned his Bachelor of Music from Boston University. As an Apprentice Artist at Des Moines Metro Opera in 2019 and 2020, he covered the roles of Colline in La bohème, Judge Turpin in Sweeny Todd, and The First Apprentice in Wozzeck. In 2019, he sang with Opera Iowa in The Magic Flute as Sarastro. Active on the competition circuit, Dylan is proud to have received the 2024 Santa Fe Opera Encouragement Award, the 2023 Santa Fe Opera Grant, Second Place in the 2022 Mario Lanza Competition, and the 2021 Encouragement Award from the Arkansas District of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Tessa McQueen
Soprano
American lyric soprano Tessa McQueen joins the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera for the 2024-2025 season. This past March, she was named a 2024 National Finalist in The Metropolitan Opera 2024 Dominique and Eric Laffont Competition. Other highlights of the 2023-24 season include the titular role in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea and Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia at Rice University in Houston. This past summer, McQueen was a resident of the prestigious Merola Opera Program, where she covered the role of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, and sang Nedda in Pagliacci for the Schwabacher Scenes Concert. In the summer of 2023, she was a Studio Artist at Wolf Trap Opera, where she covered the role of Marguerite in Faust. In 2022, she worked with Central City Opera as a Studio Artist, where she sang the role of Krystyna Zywulska in Two Remain (Out of Darkness) by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer. This earned her the coveted “Young Artist of the Season” award, and gained sponsorship by the El Pomar Foundation. No stranger to the concert stage, Ms. McQueen has been a guest soloist with the Washington City Choir and The Rice Chorale, in works such as Grand C-Minor Mass by Mozart (2024) and John Rutter’s Requiem (2022). She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Oklahoma City University (‘19) and a Master’s Degree in Voice Performance from Rice University (‘24).
Hannah Shea
Mezzo-Soprano
Hannah Shea, a dynamic mezzo-soprano, has established herself as a compelling artist on both operatic and concert stages. In the 2023-24 season Ms. Shea covered the role of Jess in the world premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s Grounded at Washington National Opera and later reprised the role in a workshop with the Metropolitan Opera. She has also appeared as Mercédès in Carmen, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, and Dritte Magd in Elektra, showcasing her versatility across the operatic repertoire. A sought-after concert soloist, Ms. Shea has performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, and Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, and most recently Knoxville Opera, lending her voice to works such as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder. Her artistry has been recognized through top honors in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition as a National Semi-Finalist and the Annapolis Opera Competition. Ms. Shea is a former Cafritz Young Artist at Washington National Opera and a Renée Fleming Artist at Aspen Music Festival. She holds degrees from Rice University and Carnegie Mellon University and continues to refine her craft under the guidance of Laura Brooks Rice.
Ben Strong
Bass-Baritone
Ben Strong was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA. Recently singing on the Met stage in the 2025 National Semifinals for the Laffont Competition, he was the only bass-baritone represented. Additionally, Strong has had multiple roles as a resident artist with Palm Beach Opera in Verdi’s La Traviata and Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette this 2025 season. Before this year, Strong made his debut at Carnegie Hall, NY singing on the Rachmaninoff 150th Anniversary Concert, at the Rudolfinum on Dvořák’s Te Deum, and at the Estates Theatre in Prague, Czechia as both Figaro and Don Giovanni in the last 2 seasons with PSN. Ben has won multiple awards in classical voice, including 4 separate Met Laffont rounds, being second in the nation at only 19 years old, in the NATS college male vocalist category, as well as an award from the Mildred Miller International Voice Competition this year. Strong attained his master's at the internationally renowned Jacob’s School of Music, in 2023, under the tutelage of basso-cantante Peter Volpe. Ben has performed a broad range of roles some of the most notable being both Leporello and Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni, Basillio in Barber of Seville, Sarastro, and Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, with more to come as he covers Dutchman in der Fliegende Holländer and performs Harašta in the Cunning Little Vixen this summer with DMMO in IOWA.
Catherine Thornsley
Soprano
Mexican-American soprano Catherine Thornsley is a two-time National Semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Based in Vancouver, Catherine is a passionate advocate for diversifying the classical music landscape and finds joy in curating programs that spotlight underrepresented composers. Recently, she collaborated with Vancouver’s Opera Lirica to present a program honoring her Mexican heritage, featuring Mexican composers. With the support of the Canadian Music Centre of BC, she also presented a program for International Women’s Month, showcasing music and poetry by women from Canada, Mexico, and the United States. In addition to her work in Canada, Catherine has been seen on the Glimmerglass Opera stage for two seasons and made her principal role debut as The Queen in the world premiere of Jen Ibsen's Youth Opera Rumpelstiltskin and the Unlovable Children. She has also covered the roles of Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème. Catherine will return to the Glimmerglass Festival for a third year to perform in the world premiere of Derek Bermel’s The House on Mango Street and will also cover the role of Floria Tosca in Puccini’s Tosca. Catherine is committed to making classical music more accessible. Her deep connection to music’s transformative power inspires her to not only pursue artistic excellence but to share that inspiration with others. Catherine draws inspiration from the resilience of everyday people and the way music offers a brief escape from life’s challenges.
THE JURY
Román Ortega-Cowan
President of the Jury Artistic Advisor, Vero Beach Opera
Román Ortega-Cowan is an operatic baritone who was born in Havana, Cuba. He trained in the operatic tradition both in Cuba and in Europe under such maestros as Stracciari, Bastida, Iglesias and Hubert de-Blanc. In 1960, Román immigrated to the United States and joined the financial institutions industry. Román has performed leading roles from La Traviata, Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, The Marriage of Figaro, The Barber of Seville, Rigoletto, La Serva Padrona, among others, both in the United States and abroad. He performed with Richard Tucker and Raina Kabaivanska in Manon Lescaut and with William Lewis in Romeo and Juliet with Orlando Opera Company. In 1988, he collaborated in the formation of Vero Beach Opera Guild, and along with the help of many passionate opera-lovers, has transformed the Guild into what is now Vero Beach Opera, Inc.
Gregory Buchalter
Music Director, Vero Beach Opera
Metropolitan Opera Assistant Conductor
Music Director and Conductor, Varna International
Gregory became Vero Beach Opera's Music Director in 2023 and this production of Pagliacci is his fourth with the company. He has been a Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera and the position of “Maestro di Banda” was created for him. At the MET, he prepared several world premieres including John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles, Philip Glass’ The Voyage and John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby. He has served as Music Directors of Opera Fairbanks and Opera, Opera Las Vegas and Camerata of Washington. He is currently Music Director with Varna International and conducts regularly with Florida Grand Opera and has conducted Salome at the Savonlinna Festival in Finland and Fledermaus at the Wiener Volksoper. He recently conducted the Mozart Requiem with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and the Verdi Requiem throughout Italy as well as Idomeneo at the New England Conservatory, Rigoletto with Opera Orlando and Hansel and Gretel with Mobile Opera.
Susan Neves
Soprano
Susan Neves has sung some of the most challenging soprano roles including Aida, Tosca, Turandot, Norma, Lady Macbeth and Abigaille in theaters such as the Opera Bastille in Paris, the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Vienna State Opera, Gran Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona, Monte Carlo, and opera houses throughout Italy including Arena di Verona, Bologna, Genoa, Parma, and Cagliari. Recently she has enjoyed exploring alternative repertoire including Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance and Katisha in The Mikado, both for Central Florida Vocal Arts, Berta in The Barber of Seville for Palm Beach Opera, Florida Grand Opera and Vero Beach Opera as well as Gertrud in Hansel and Gretel for Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in Sardinia. A sought-after teacher and coach, she has taught at Stetson University, at the Miami Summer Music Festival at Florida International University, and has given Master Classes at the Manhattan school of Music. She completed her musical studies at the Manhattan School of Music, where she earned bachelor's and master's degrees. She is a recipient of the Licia Albanese Award.
Scott Guzielek
President and Artistic Director of the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA)
Scott Guzielek was appointed President and Artistic Director of the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) in July 2023 after serving as Vice-President and General Manager since July 2019. He was Director of Artistic Operations at Palm Beach Opera for seven seasons where he was responsible for all aspects of artistic planning, casting, and repertoire selection as well as oversight and direction of the Young and Apprentice Artist Programs. For seven seasons he was Artistic Administrator of Washington National Opera working directly with General Director Plácido Domingo. He has judged the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions as well as the AVA Giargiari Competition, the Stella Maris Competition, Opera Birmingham Opera Competition, and the Cooper-Bing Vocal Competition. From Johnstown, New York, he received a Bachelor of Arts with honors in Vocal Performance from the State University of New York College at Geneseo in 2001 and a Master of Arts with distinction in Arts Management from American University in 2004.
Eva Franchi
Founder, Sergio Franchi Music Foundation
Eva (Simon) Franchi is the widow of Sergio Franchi, world-renowned Italian opera singer, Broadway and Las Vegas performer, who was a dedicated supporter of the arts. Eva is the Founder of The Sergio Franchi Music Foundation (TSFMF) which has awarded over 800 grants and scholarships to young, talented artists in his memory throughout the years. Eva emigrated with her family to the USA from Budapest, Hungary (where she studied ballet) following the 1956 Hungarian revolt. She married Sergio Franchi in New York City on 1982, and together, they purchased a 240-acre estate in Stonington, Connecticut where Eva has held annual outdoor concerts since the 1990’s to honor her late husband, Sergio. She has brought Met Opera singers and international artists to perform at these concerts to the delight of thousands of attendees since the 1990’s. On May 1, 1990, Sergio passed away from a brain tumor less than one month after his 64th birthday. Eva continues to carry on his legacy through her Foundation.
SEASON FINALE CONCERT
Ian Campbell
Master of Ceremonies
Ian Campbell has worked in opera for more than 58 years as a singer, stage director, artistic director, broadcaster, lecturer, and company director. He began his career in 1967 in his native Australia as a tenor with Opera Australia, singing a variety of roles through the opening season of the Sydney Opera House. He moved into administration and stage direction in 1974. He has been General Director of The State Opera of South Australia, Assistant Artistic Administrator with the Metropolitan Opera, and for 30 years was General Director and Artistic Director of San Diego Opera He has given master classes around the USA and was a member of the jury for the Marcello Giordani vocal competition with Vero Beach Opera. As the stage director his productions range from Aida and La bohème to Katya Kabanova, Don Quixote, and Murder in the Cathedral. In 2003 his radio program At the Opera with Ian Campbell was honored by the San Diego Press Club with both First Place for a Radio Series and Best in Show for Radio in their annual awards program. The same year he received the Wolfensohn Award from Sydney University Graduates Union North America for services to the community.
2024 Rising Stars
Watch the last season's Finale Concert to see who wins!