Student Successes & Awards

Successes and Awards of Current and Former FSU Voice Students

Singers with degrees in voice and opera from FSU regularly win important competitions, go on to study at other leading universities and conservatories, including The Julliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and Eastman School of Music, teach in our nation’s finest music schools and conservatories, and perform in major opera houses throughout the world.

During the past few years, current and former students have achieved the following successes and awards:

Andy Acosta:

San Francisco Opera, Merola Program, 2017
WINNER, MET National Council Auditions, Indiana District, 2016-2017
Brevard Music Festival, Ferrando, Così fan tutte, 2015

Kevin Blickfeldt:

DMA, USC, 2015

Eliza Bonet:

Florida Grand Opera, 2014 & 2016
San Francisco Opera, Merola Program, 2014
Des Moines Metro Opera, Young Artist Program, 2013

Kathryn Bowden:

Metropolitan Opera, 2016/17
San Francisco Opera, 2015/16
San Francisco Opera, Merola Program, 2015

Will Bryon:

Minnesota Opera, Young Artist, 2016-2017
Opera Colorado, Young Artist, 2015-2016

Pedro Carreras:

Capital City Opera, Nemorino, L’elisir d’amore, 2015
Atlanta Opera Studio, Touring Artist, 2014
Atlanta Opera Studio, Rodolfo, En Mis Palabras, 2014
Atlanta Opera Studio, Prince Charming, Nightly News, 2014
Capital City Opera, Rodolfo, La Bohème, 2013
Peach State Opera, Pinkerton, Madama Butterfly, 2013

Ray Chenez:

Opera Omaha, 2017
Theatre de Caen, 2016-2017
Opéra National de Bordeaux, 2016-2017
Grand Théâtre de Genève, 2016-2017
Opéra Royal de Versailles, 2016-2017
Bergen International Festival, 2016-2017
Theater an der Wien, 2016-2017
Opéra National de Lorraine, 2016-2017

Anthony Ciaramitaro:

San Francisco Opera, Merola Program, 2017
WINNER: MET National Council Auditions, Florida District, 2017
Arizona Opera, Resident Artist Program, 2017-2018
Arizona Opera, Almaviva, il Barbiere di Siviglia, 2017-2018
Arizona Opera, Theseus, Hercules vs. Vampires, 2017-2018
Arizona Opera, Spoletta, Tosca, 2017-2018
Chautauqua Opera, Young Artist Program, 2016
Wolf Trap Festival Opera, Studio Young Artist Program, 2015

Richard Coleman:

Sarasota Opera, Young Artist Program, 2016-2017
WINNER: St. Petersburg Opera Vocal Competition, 2016
Music Academy of The West, Kecal, Bartered Bride, 2016
Chautauqua Opera Company, Studio Artist Program, 2015
Encouragement Award, District, MET National Council Auditions, 2015

Daniel Collins:

Metropolitan Opera, Chorus, 2013-2017

Josh Eflin:

Seagle Colony, Witch, Hänsel und Gretel, 2014
Seagle Colony, Sam, Susannah, 2014
Seagle Colony, Lensky, Eugene Onegin, 2013

Alexander Elliott:

Opera Omaha, 2017
Portland Opera, 2017
Madison Opera, 2016
Tulsa Opera, Soloist, Concert with Leona Mitchell, 2016
Opera Omaha, Gulgielmo, Cosí fan tutte, 2016
Pittsburgh Symphony, Soloist, St. John Passion, 2016
Portland Opera, Title Role, Eugene Onegin, 2015
Tulsa Opera, Marcello, La Bohème, 2015
Portland Opera, Belcore, L’elisir d’amore, 2015
WINNER, MET National Council Auditions, Oregon District, 2015
Portland Opera, Frank, Die Fledermaus, 2014
San Francisco Opera, Merola Program, Don Giovanni (cover), Don Giovanni, 2014
Portland Opera, Dimitrius, Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2014
Portland Opera, Enrico (cover), Lucia di Lammermoor, 2014
Portland Opera, Young Artist Program, 2013-2015
Tulsa Opera, Count Almaviva, Le nozze di Figaro, 2013
Central City Opera, Figaro (cover), Il barbiere di Siviglia, 2013
Central City Opera, Young Artist Program, 2013
Tulsa Opera, Young Artist Program, 2012-2013
Des Moines Metro Opera, Onegin (cover), Eugene Onegin, 2012
Des Moines Metro Opera, Young Artist Program, 2012

Damian Faul:

Musica Lyrica, Sharpless, Madama Butterfly, 2015
Seagle Colony, Peter, Hänsel und Gretel, Outreach, 2014
Seagle Colony, Merlyn, Camelot, 2014
Seagle Colony, A-Rab, West Side Story, 2014

Margaret Flanigan:

Seagle Colony, Alice Ford, Falstaff, 2015

Lydia Gray:

WINNER, Hyechka Club of Tulsa, Collegiate Vocal Competition, 2014

Aaron Grant:

Opus 3 Artist Management, Assistant Manager, 2012 to Present
Music Academy of The West, Program Coordinator, 2015 to Present

Ryan Speedo Green:

Wiener Staatsoper, Timur, Turondot, 2017
Houston Grand Opera, Osmin, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, 2017
Metropolitan Opera, Colline, La Bohème, 2016
San Antonio Opera, Escamillo, Carmen, 2016
Wiener Staatsoper, Basilio, Il barbiere di Siviglia, 2016
Wiener Staatsoper, Fest Contract, 2014-2018
Wiener Staatsoper, Commendatore, Don Giovanni, 2015
Wiener Staatsoper, Masetto, Don Giovanni, 2015
Wiener Staatsoper, Fafner, Das Rheingold, 2015
Wiener Staatsoper, Gremin, Eugene Onegin, 2015
Wiener Staatsoper, Titure, Parsifal, 2015
Wiener Staatsoper, Il Re, Aida, 2015
Wiener Staatsoper, Sarastro, Die Zauberflöte, 2015
Wiener Staatsoper, Il Bonzo, Madama Butterly, 2015
Wiener Staatsoper, Pietro, Simon Boccanegra, 2015
Wiener Staatsoper, Basilio, Il barbiere di Siviglia, 2015
WINNER, Richard Tucker Career Grant, 2014
WINNER, Leonore Annenburg Fund, 2014
FIRST PRIZE, Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, 2014
WINNER, George London Foundation Competition, 2014
Wiener Staatsoper, Angelotti, Tosca, 2014
Wiener Staatsoper, Alidoro, La Cenerentola, 2014
Wiener Staatsoper, Sparafucile, Rigoletto, 2014
Wiener Staatsoper, Der Sprecher, Die Zauberflöte, 2014
Wiener Staatsoper, Angelotti, Tosca, 2014
Metropolitan Opera, Rambo, Death of Klinghoffer, 2014
Metropolitan Opera, Angelotti, Tosca, 2013
Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program, 2011-2014

Jared Guest:

Sarasota Opera, Studio Artist, 2016-2017
WINNER, District, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, 2015
Chautauqua Opera Company, Apprentice Artist, 2015
Opera Colorado, Yamadori, Madama Butterfly, 2014
Chautauqua Opera Company, Studio Artist, 2014
Opera Colorado, Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, 2014
Opera Colorado, Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet, 2014
Opera Colorado, Marullo, Rigoletto, 2014
Opera Colorado, Escamillo, Carmen, 2014
Opera Colorado, Young Artist Program, 2012-2014
Opera Colorado, Bartolo (cover), Il barbiere di Siviglia, 2013

Mary Hangley:

Minnesota Opera, Musetta, La Bohème, 2016-2017
Minnesota Opera, Millecent Jordon, Dinner at Eight, 2016-2017
Minnesota Opera, Musetta, La Bohème, 2016-2017
Glimmerglass Opera, Young Artist Program, 2017
San Francisco Opera Center, Merola Program, 2016
San Francisco Opera Center, Transformations, 2016
Sarasota Opera, Young Artist Program, 2014-2015
Lyric Opera Studio, Alice Ford, Die Lustige Weiber von Windsor, Weimar, Germany, 2014
WINNER, Madame Rose Palmai-Tenser, Mobile Opera Competition, 2014

James Harrington:

Santa Fe Opera, Young Artist, 2017
Santa Fe Opera, Raimondo (cover), Lucia di Lammermoor, 2017
Portland Opera, Soloist, Madrigals of Monteverdi, 2017
Santa Fe Opera, Diener #4, Der Rosenkavalier, 2016
Santa Fe Opera, Capulet (cover), Romeo et Juliet, 2016
Santa Fe Opera, Jigger, La Fanciulla del West, 2016
Santa Fe Opera, Young Artist, 2016
Utah Festival Opera, Colline (cover), La Bohème, 2015
Sugar Creek Opera, Rucker Lattimore (cover), Cold Sassy Tree, 2013

Natalie Havens:

Chautauqua Opera, Young Artist Program, 2017

Andrew Hiers:

San Francisco Opera, Merola Program, 2017
Tri-cities Opera, Basilio, Il barbiere di Siviglia, 2016
Opera Dell’ Arte, Bardolfo, Salieri’s Falstaff, 2014
Sugar Creek Opera, Rucker Lattimore (cover), Cold Sassy Tree, 2013
New York Opera Exchange, Leporello, Don Giovanni, 2013

Alan Higgs:

Lyric Opera of Chicago, Ryan Center Artist, 2017-2019
Atlanta Opera, Resident Artist, 2016-17
WINNER, MET National Council Auditions, Georgia District, 2016-2017
Santa Fe Opera, Apprentice Artist, 2016
Santa Fe Opera, Felice, La Fanciulla del West, 2016
Atlanta Opera, Title Role, Don Pasquale, 2016
Atlanta Opera, Resident Artist, 2015-16
Atlanta Opera, Mandarin, Turandot, 2015
Atlanta Opera, Imperial Commissioner, Madama Butterfly, 2014

Blake Hudson:

Opera Tampa, Young Artist Program, 2014-2015
Opera Tampa, Count Ceprano (cover), Rigoletto, 2014
Sarasota Opera, Young Artist Program, 2014
Festival of International Opera of the Americas, Alidoro, La Cenerentola, 2013

Mitchell Hutchings:

Assistant Professor of Voice, Houghton College, Fall 2013 to present
American Prize in Opera, 2^nd Place, 2013
Carnegie Hall Debut, Mozart Requiem and Beethoven Choral Fantasy, 2013
Des Moines Metro Opera, Young Artist Program, 2013
Pensacola Opera, Young Artist Program, 2013
Pensacola Opera, Figaro (cover), Il barbiere di Siviglia, 2013
Pensacola Opera, Fiorello, Il barbiere di Siviglia, 2013
Pensacola Opera, Ben, The Telephone, 2013
Pensacola Opera, Scarpia (cover), Tosca, 2013
Pensacola Opera, Angelotti, Tosca, 2013
Pensacola Opera, Young Artist Program, 2012
Adjunct Faculty, University of West Florida, 2013

Alicia Jayourba:

International Young Artist Program, Varna International Academy in Vienna and Austria, 2013-2014

Shannon Jennings:

San Francisco Opera, Merola Program, 2016
Virginia Opera, Emerging Artist Program, 2013-2015

Brandon Lockhart:

Festival of International Opera of the Americas, 2013

Chris Longo:

Sarasota Opera, Young Artist Program, 2016-2017
Central City Opera, Studio Artist, 2015
Masters in Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music, 2013-2015

Andrew Paulson:

Virginia Opera, Ottokar, Der Freischutz, 2016-2017
Virginia Opera, Mandarin, Turandot, 2016-2017
Virginia Opera, Silvio (cover), Pagliacci, 2016-2017
Santa Fe Opera, Apprentice Artist, 2016
Santa Fe Opera, Diener #2, Der Rosenkavalier, 2016
Santa Fe Opera, Mercutio (cover), Romeo et Juliet, 2016
Sarasota Opera, Marcello (cover), La Bohème, 2015
Sarasota Opera, Young Artist Program, 2015-2016
Santa Fe Opera, Apprentice Artist, 2015
Opera Colorado, Young Artist Program, 2014-2016
Central City Opera, Studio Artist, 2014
Madame Rose Palmai-Tenser, Mobile Opera Competition, 2^nd Place, 2014
Opera on the Avalon, Germont, La Traviata, 2013
Sugar Creek Opera, Clayton McCalister, Cold Sassy Tree, 2013
Poulenc Competition, Gerard Souzay Award, 2013

André Peele:

Virginia Opera, Artist in Residence, 2016
Masters in Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music, 2013-2015

Felicia Plunkett:

Boston Lyric Opera, Emerging Artist, 2016-2017
Boston Lyric Opera, Title Role (cover), Carmen, 2016-2017
Boston Lyric Opera, Cherubino (cover), Le nozze di Figaro, 2016-2017

Frank Rosamond:

Chautauqua Opera, Young Artist Program, 2017
Chautauqua Opera, Young Artist Program, 2016

Jamison Walker:

Assistant Professor of Voice, Stetson University, 2014 to present
Madame Rose Palmai-Tenser, Mobile Opera Competition, Finalist, 2014

Timothy Wilt:

International Young Artist Program, Music Academy International (Italy), 2015

Nicole Woodward:

San Francisco Opera, Merola Program, 2015

Jemeesa Yarborough:

WINNER, North Carolina District, MET National Council Auditions, 2016
Saratoga Opera, Contessa (cover), Le Nozze di Figaro, 2016
Saratoga Opera, Mother Witch (cover), Witches of Venice, 2016
WINNER, South Carolina District, MET National Council Auditions, 2015
Savannah Voice Festival, Young Artist, 2015