On September 28 and 29, SMTD’s annual Friends of Opera Competition was held in the Britton Recital Hall. Made possible by the Friends of Opera, a group that supports the Department of Voice & Opera through annual giving, the competition awards prizes to vocal performance students in two categories, undergraduate and graduate.
In the John Knapp Undergraduate category, Marissa Redding (BM ’26) won first prize, and Micah Huisman (BMA ’25) won second prize. In the Anna Chapekis Graduate category, Ingrid Kuribayashi (SM ’26) won first prize, and Daiyao Zhong (DMA ’26) won second prize.
Redding, a soprano studying with Caitlin Lynch, was also an undergraduate award winner of the 2024 Sam Vitale & Aaron Caruso Neapolitan Song Competition and won second place in the third-year treble voice division of the 2024 NATS Michigan District Auditions. She is pursuing a dual degree in vocal performance and computer science. At SMTD, she has performed in the chorus of Don Giovanni, as Gherardino in Gianni Schicchi, as Kosmo in the workshop of David Hanlon’s The Pigeon Keeper, and as the Dew Fairy in Hänsel und Gretel.
Huisman, a bass-baritone, is pursuing degrees in both vocal performance and choral music education with the intention of performing and teaching in the future. He is working toward building an opera career and eventually teaching students of all ages, sharing the spark of musical excitement with them. At SMTD, he has performed in the chorus of Don Giovanni.
Kuribayashi, a soprano, is earning her specialist degree in voice performance at SMTD under the instruction of Caitlin Lynch. Her notable roles include Pamina in Die Zauberflöte at the Berlin Opera Academy, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare at the Saluzzo Opera Academy, and Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel at SMTD. She earned dual bachelor’s degrees from Rutgers University and her master’s in voice from the Conservatorio “Giuseppe Verdi” di Milano.
Zhong, a mezzo-soprano, is pursuing her doctorate in voice under the guidance of Freda Herseth, having earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in voice from Manhattan School of Music. Her most notable roles include Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier at the Manhattan School of Music, Dorabella in Così fan tutte at the International Vocal Arts Institute, and Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel at SMTD. In addition to her operatic work, she is a celebrated concert soloist, having performed in works such as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Choral Fantasy, Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Fauré’s Requiem, and Mozart’s Requiem.
On Friday, February 14, 2025, the four winners will perform in a recital at 8:00 p.m. in Britton Recital Hall. The recital is free and open to the public. Additional details will be available on the SMTD event calendar.
Interested in supporting SMTD’s Department of Voice & Opera and the Friends of Opera Competition? Consider making a donation to the Friends of Opera.