Bravissima, Michelle!
Michelle Mariposa, a rising Filipina mezzo-soprano, has achieved a milestone that many young opera singers only dream of — winning the 2025 Laffont Competition at the Metropolitan Opera in New York on March 16. She was one of five winners among nine finalists, earning a $20,000 grant. But more importantly, this victory opens doors to the world’s most prestigious opera stages.
Emerging from a field of over 1,500 applicants across the US, Michelle advanced through rigorous rounds to become one of 20 semifinalists, then one of the nine finalists who performed at the Met. At 30 — the maximum age for the competition — she seized her final opportunity to compete, delivering two contrasting arias: a dazzling bel canto showcase from Rossini’s Semiramide, which required breathtaking agility and precision, and a deeply expressive aria from Massenet’s Werther, where she revealed her dramatic depth. Performing in both Italian and French, she demonstrated not only linguistic versatility but also mastery of diverse vocal styles.
To mark the occasion, Michelle made a striking statement of her Filipino heritage by wearing a stunning yellow terno, custom-made by designer Frankie de Leon.
Michelle’s journey to opera was not a conventional one. She initially pursued a career in medicine, earning a summa cum laude degree in Psychology at the University of the Philippines in 2016. However, the emotional toll of the field led her to reconsider, and she followed her true calling — music. In 2021, she earned her second summa cum laude degree, this time in Music, also from UP.
Michelle went on to earn a full scholarship at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where she completed her master’s in Voice and Opera Performance in 2023. She is currently a resident young artist at the Washington National Opera.
Before this triumph, Michelle had already been steadily building an impressive career, winning the Washington National Opera’s Cafritz Young Artist award; the Richard Gaddis Career Award; debuting with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Haymarket Opera, and Chicago Opera Theater; featured as Young artist with Santa Fe Opera company; 2024 Lynne Cooper Harvey Foundation Award (Musicians Club of Women Vocal Competition); as well as becoming the 2023 Sullivan Award Winner (Sullivan Foundation) and Encouragement Awardee in the Met Opera’s Central Region Laffont Competition.
“She’s a dream to work with—easygoing, friendly, and professional, with no diva attitude,” says her coach, Christopher Arceo. “She always comes prepared for rehearsals, listens intently, and knows how to discern good advice.”
Opera aficionados in the Philippines are beaming with pride. With this victory, Mariposa is poised to become only the second Filipina — after soprano Evelyn Mandac — to make a mark on the world’s most prestigious opera stages. Mandac made history in 1966, paving the way for Filipino talent in international opera.
