Audition Winners
2018 Inaugural Season Audition Winners:
Efrain Corralejo
Tenor
Efrain Corralejo received his degree in opera performance from the Escuela Superior de Musica del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, in 2020. He is also a graduate of the Studio of Artistic Excellence of Maestro Francisco Araiza in the Conservatorio nacional de musica. He currently studies on full scholarship in the Opera Studio of the Mexican national opera company, Bellas Artes (EOBA).
Denis Velez
Soprano
Denis Velez, born in Puebla, Mexico, received her degree in opera performance from the Escuela superior de musica in Mexico City. She has also studied with Francisco Araiza, Ramon Vargas, Michael Sylvester, Ted Taylor and Andres Sarre.
In 2019 she was invited to join the Ryan Opera Center young artist program of the Chicago Lyric Opera as a member of the 2020-21 class and is now in residence in Chicago.
Yunuet Laguna
Soprano
Yunuet Laguna, born in Zacatecas, received her degree in opera performance from the Conservatorio nacional de musica in Mexico City. She has participated in masterclasses with Denyce Graves, Renee Fleming, Maestro Marco Armiliato and tenor Francisco Araiza, and received a full scholarship in 2018 to attend the Instituto de Bel Canto opera workshop in San Miguel de Allende, MX. In 2019 she became the first Mexican soprano in history to be invited into the Lindemann Young Artist Development program at the Metropolitan Opera and is currently in her second year of the program. In 2020 she was one of 15 Filene Artists, selected to participate in the Wolf Trap Opera’s summer program for young singers.
Gamaliel Reynoso
Counter-tenor
Originally from Toluca, Gamaliel Reynoso received his degree in opera performance from the Conservatorio nacional de musica in Mexico City, and studied in intensive courses in Baroque opera interpretation in Europe.
In 2019 he became the first countertenor ever invited to study in the Opera Studio of the Mexican national opera company, Bellas Artes. He completes his second year there in December, 2020.
The winners went on to the Gulf Coast Region auditions in New Orleans in January 2019. A total of 7 singers received recognition there, the majority (4) were our Mexican singers.
Yunuet Laguna took second prize and was invited to join the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera
Efrain Corralejo, Denis Velez and Gamaliel Reynoso received career encouragement awards.
Ms. Velez was invited to join the Ryan Opera Center, young artist program of the Lyric Opera of Chicago
Efrain Corralejo, Tenor
Education/Training
Efrain Corralejo received his degree in opera performance from the Escuela Superior de Musica del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, in 2020. He is also a graduate of the Studio of Artistic Excellence of Maestro Francisco Araiza in the Conservatorio nacional de musica. He currently studies on full scholarship in the Opera Studio of the Mexican national opera company, Bellas Artes (EOBA).
Career
In 2019 he made his United States solo opera debut as count Almaviva in Rossini’s Barber of Seville with the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In the same year he appeared as tenor soloist in the Verdi Requiem in Colorado, and has performed that role as well as soloist roles in the Mozart Requiem, in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and in Handel’s Messiah.
Repertoire
His repertoire consists of Alfredo in Verdi’s la Traviata, Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Boheme, Tonio in Donizetti’s Daughter of the Regiment, Tamino in Mozart’s the Magic Flute, Nemorino in Donizetti’s Elixir of Love, Count Almaviva in Rossini’s Barber of Seville and Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors.
Awards
2018 – Winner, MetOpera National Council (MONC) Mexico District auditions and honorable mention recipient, MONC Gulf Coast Region auditions in New Orleans, LA.
2019 – Winner, MetOpera National Council (MONC) Pittsburgh District auditions and honorable mention recipient, MONC Great Lakes Region auditions in Detroit, MI.
Yunuet Laguna, Soprano
Education/Training
Yunuet Laguna, born in Zacatecas, received her degree in opera performance from the Conservatorio nacional de musica in Mexico City. She has participated in masterclasses with Denyce Graves, Renee Fleming, Maestro Marco Armiliato and tenor Francisco Araiza, and received a full scholarship in 2018 to attend the Instituto de Bel Canto opera workshop in San Miguel de Allende, MX. In 2019 she became the first Mexican soprano in history to be invited into the Lindemann Young Artist Development program at the Metropolitan Opera and is currently in her second year of the program. In 2020 she was one of 15 Filene Artists, selected to participate in the Wolf Trap Opera’s summer program for young singers.
Career
In 2018 Ms. Laguna was the soprano soloist in the Mozart Requiem, with Chorale San Miguel in San Miguel de Allende, MX, and was also a soloist with the Toluca Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mexiquense Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra of Zacatecas.
In 2019 she made her United States solo debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra in their Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, then made her New York City debut in the MetOpera Lindemann Patrons Concert at the Juilliard School.
In 2020 she performed with the New Jersey Symphony in multiple performances across that state, including at the New Jersey Performing arts Center in Newark. She appeared as Mimi, in Puccini’s La Boheme, in a remote video production by the Wolf Trap Opera.
Awards
2018 Finalist, Sinaloa International Vocal Competition, Culiacan, MX
2018 Winner, MetOpera National Council (MONC) Mexico District auditions
2019 Second place, Gulf Coast Region auditions, MetOpera National Council
2019 Recipient, Ana Maria Martinez Award/Scholarship, Houston Grand Opera Competition
2019 First place in the Opera Index competition.
2019 Winner, tenth annual Hildegard Behrens Foundation award
Gamaliel Reynoso, Countertenor
Education/Training
Originally from Toluca, Gamaliel Reynoso received his degree in opera performance from the Conservatorio nacional de musica in Mexico City, and studied in intensive courses in Baroque opera interpretation in Europe.
In 2019 he became the first countertenor ever invited to study in the Opera Studio of
the Mexican national opera company, Bellas Artes. He completes his second year there in December, 2020.
Career
He has performed in Mexico, Spain, Italy, France and the United States. In 2018 & 2019 he was a soloist in the Mozart Requiem with Chorale San Miguel in San Miguel de Allende, MX. In 2020 he performed lead roles in the very first Mexican performances of L’incoronazione di Poppea, in Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, GTO, and will soon make his solo debut on the stage of the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, in W.A. Mozart’s Ascanio in Alba.
Awards
2016 – second prize winner in the World Contertenor Competition in Havana, Cuba
2017 – fourth prize winner in the Opera San Miguel Concurso
2017 – second prize winner & recipient of Best Interpretation award, Carlo Morelli voice competition, Mexico City
2017 – finalist, Ravello Citta della musica competition, Italy
2018 – winner, MetOpera National Council (MONC) Mexico District auditions in San Miguel de Allende, MX and honorable mention recipient, MONC Gulf Coast Region auditions in New Orleans, LA
2019 – winner, MONC Mexico District auditions and finalist, MONC Gulf Coast Region auditions
Denis Velez, Soprano
Education/Training
Denis Velez, born in Puebla, Mexico, received her degree in opera performance from the Escuela superior de musica in Mexico City. She has also studied with Francisco Araiza, Ramon Vargas, Michael Sylvester, Ted Taylor and Andres Sarre.
In 2019 she was invited to join the Ryan Opera Center young artist program of the Chicago Lyric Opera as a member of the 2020-21 class and is now in residence in Chicago.
Repertoire
Her repertoire includes Contessa and Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Bastienne in Bastien und Bastienne, Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, and Mimi in Puccini’s La Boheme.
Awards
2018 – Winner, MetOpera National Council (MONC) Mexico District auditions and honorable mention recipient, MONC Gulf Coast Region auditions in New Orleans, LA.
2019 – First prize winner, French Opera Award winner, Francisco Araiza Special Award winner, Carlo Morelli Voice Competition, Mexico City
2019 – Winner, MetOpera National Council (MONC) Mexico District auditions
2020 – First prize winner, MetOpera National Council, Gulf Coast Region auditions
2020 – First prize winner, MetOpera National Council Grand Finals, Metropolitan Opera House, NYC