Lewis debuts at Carnegie Hall on April 28
Mezzo-soprano and UMass alumna Natalie Lewis ’21 is one of six winners of the 2023 Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. Now in its 69th year, the competition (known previously as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions) is designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers.
Lewis 3rd from left
The finalists, culled from over 1,200 applicants, competed in New York City on April 23, performing two arias accompanied by the world-famous Metropolitan Opera Orchestra conducted by Michele Gamba. The winners, who received individual cash prizes of $20,000, were chosen by a panel of administrators from major opera companies.
Lewis, who is currently pursuing her master’s at Juilliard, earned her bachelor’s in vocal performance from UMass while studying with William Hite. Since then, Lewis’ star has continued to ascend, as witnessed by her first-place finish in the Houston Grand Opera Competition in February and her acceptance into the company of the renowned Bavarian State Opera earlier this spring. On April 28, Lewis makes her Carnegie Hall debut, singing the alto solos in Marianna von Martines’ Dixit Dominus and Bela Bartok’s Three Village Scenes with the Cecilia Chorus of New York. She will take part in San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program later this summer, where she will perform the title role in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia.
According to Hite, the term “meteoric” is not an overstatement when describing Natalie’s career trajectory. “Her victories in Houston and the Met, and now her Carnegie Hall debut, all taking place in only a matter of weeks, are a testament to her ability to rise to the occasion,” said Hite. “At only 24 years old, she’s at a point when most singers are still developing their skills, and yet she’s already on par with the more mature vocalists. She’s clearly on the verge of a major operatic career.”
Grand Opera competition
A native of Bedford, Mass., Lewis credits the UMass Vocal Studies program and Hite in particular for helping to develop her talents and guiding her through the arduous application process to attend Juilliard. Part of the Department of Music & Dance, the Vocal Studies program provides a diverse and challenging course of study for emerging young musicians like Lewis. During her time at UMass, she distinguished herself through her participation in the UMass Chamber Choir and Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and in productions like Mozart’s The Magic Flute.
“Going to UMass helped me to grow and develop as a performer and as a human being,” according to Lewis. “Becoming a performing artist takes so much time and dedication that it can become unhealthy if that’s your sole focus. I’m really happy that I fell in love with opera at a place where it wasn’t the only thing that surrounded me.”
The Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition is a career-making opportunity for aspiring opera singers, given the reach of the auditions and the number of applicants. The Laffont Competition is open to singers from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as other international entrants training or residing in those countries. This season, the competition had more than 1,200 applicants, with more than 900 singers qualifying, and only 10 chosen as finalists. The competition has been crucial in introducing many of today’s best-known opera stars, including Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Eric Owens, Stephanie Blythe, Lawrence Brownlee, Latonia Moore, Ryan Speedo Green, and Nadine Sierra.