On October 4 and 5, 2025, the annual Friends of Opera competition was held for both undergraduate and graduate students in the SMTD Department of Voice & Opera. The competition, which includes cash prizes for the winners, was made possible by the generosity and annual giving of Friends of Opera, a group of donors funding the vocal performing arts at U-M.
In the John Knapp Undergraduate category, Isaiah Liggins (BM ’27) took home first prize, and Maxwell Vernon (BM ’27) secured second prize. In the Anna Chapekis Graduate category, Grace Ryan (MM ’26) won first prize, and second prize went to Christina Parson (DMA ’27).
Isaiah Liggins
Liggins, a junior, recently starred as the title character in Le nozze di Figaro. He was also featured as a soloist in the Arts Chorale concert with his colleagues Jamiyah Hudson (BM ’26) and Ryan Hughes (BM ’27). Hailing from Houston, Texas, Liggins aims to give back to those who have shaped him and his journey. He shared, “Every note that I will sing and every stage that I will stand on, I will be sure to dedicate it to the individuals who got me there.”
Maxwell Vernon
A junior vocal performance major, Vernon will soon debut as Marco in Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Gondoliers, marking his first-ever leading role in a production. His recent credits include MUSKET’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Jehan/Ensemble), the U-M Chamber Opera Workshop’s orchestral premiere of The House on Mango Street (Squinky/Geraldo cover), and Opera Workshop scenes as Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) and Arcadio (Florencia en el Amazonas). He also has performed as a cabaret soloist with the Golden Theatre Company, sings with the Michigan Men’s Glee Club, and is a member of the U-M Chamber Choir.
Grace Ryan
Ryan, who was a 2025 Summer Studio Artist with Florentine Opera in Milwaukee, is a lyric mezzo soprano who studies with Stanford Olsen. Ryan has earned several accolades, including second place in the Classical Singer National Competition in the emerging artists division. She has also been featured in leading roles as Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel and Dorabella in Così fan tutte at U-M.
Christina Parson
Parson is a fellow at the Atlantic Music Festival and a Young Artist at the Lotte Lehmann Akademie. Parson has been in the spotlight many times, including as Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro), Governess (The Turn of the Screw), Mother (Hänsel und Gretel), and Chrysothemis (Elektra). Her upcoming performances include Verdi’s Requiem with the Dearborn Symphony, performing as the soprano soloist.
The first-prize winners will perform in a winners’ recital on Saturday, April 18, at 5:00 pm, in Britton Recital Hall, which is located in the Earl V. Moore Building. The recital will be free and open to the public and will be followed at 7:00 pm by a reception in the Brehm Pavilion.
The Department of Voice & Opera conveyed their gratitude to the Friends of Opera: “Many thanks to the members of the Friends of Opera organization who gave of their time, and who showed great interest in our singers, to adjudicate this competition and to make these monetary prizes available to our students!”
Interested in supporting SMTD’s Department of Voice & Opera and the Friends of Opera Competition? Consider making a donation to the Friends of Opera.