A Welsh soprano singing a song full of longing and hope from Wagner’s Tannhäuser followed later in the evening with the dark and brooding “Embroidery in childhood” from Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes, took home top honors Friday night in Houston Grand Opera’s Concert of Arias.
Scarlett Jones, who is now pursuing a Master of Music at the Julliard School in New York, impressed the judges as she moved from the young virginal Elizabeth anxious for the return of Tannhäuser, who alas has been spending time with Venus, to schoolmistress Ellen who suspects that Peter has killed his apprentice.
Wortham Theater’s Cullen Theater played host to the finale to the 38th Annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers which was also livestreamed to audiences worldwide with Hello Houston’s Ernie Manouse serving as livestream host.
Second place and the Audience Choice Award went to tenor Misael Corralejo from Mexico. Corralejo sang the bel canto aria “Fra poco a me ricovero ” from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor first. After the intermission, he sang Romeo’s love aria from Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette with impressive high notes.
Third place went to American mezzo-soprano Lauren Randolph who sang “O ma lyre immortelle” from Gounod’s Sapho and “Where shall I fly?” from Handel’s Hercules.
The Encouragement Award went to Ukraine soprano Viktoriia Shamanska singing a selection from Rossini’s Semiramide and another from Gustave Charpentier’s Louise.
The 2026 Concert of Arias offered sizeable awards not only for the winners but all finalists:
- 1st Place prize of $25,000: Scarlett Jones, soprano
- 2nd Place prize of $15,000: Misael Corralejo, Tenor
- 3rd Place prize of $10,000 : Lauren Randolph, Mezzo-soprano
- The Audience Choice Award of $5,000: Misael Corralejo, Tenor
- The Ana Mariá Martínez Encouragement Award of $2,000: Viktoriia Shamanska, Soprano
The Encouragement Award winner and all non-placing finalists also received a prize of $3,500.
Longtime Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers who is in his final season before becoming Music Director Emeritus, conducted the HGO orchestra.
HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor who aslo served as one of the judges, had this to say afterwards:
“Tonight’s concert was a celebration in every sense. These extraordinary young artists brought fearless joy and inspiring artistry to the stage, delivering performances they—and we—can be deeply proud of. It was thrilling to watch them step onto the Brown stage to perform with our beloved orchestra, led by Maestro Summers. The Concert of Arias is the purest expression of HGO’s mission: discovering, nurturing, and championing the voices that will define the future of opera.”
The two other judges were /mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, Co-Director of the Lehrer Vocal Institute at the Music Academy of the West; guest judge Julien Benhamou, Director of Production for the Théâtre des Champs Élysées and a casting consultant for the Metropolitan Opera and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.