Anthony León (tenor), Teresa Perrotta, (soprano) Natalie Lewis, (mezzo-soprano),
Sarah Saturnino (mezzo-soprano) Meredith Wohlgemuth, (soprano) Christian Simmons, (bass-baritone)
LAFFONT FINALS COMPETITION
2023 GRAND NATIONAL WINNERS
$20,000 each*
ANTHONY LEÓN (Western Region) Tenor
SARAH SATURNINO (Western Region) Mezzo-Soprano
2023 WESTERN REGION FINALS
Colburn School – Los Angeles
FIRST PLACE – $4,000 each*
ANTHONY LEON 26 Tenor Los Angeles District
SARAH SATURNINO 29 Mezzo-Soprano San Diego District
*Plus the Mrs. Edgar Tobin National Award of $800 and the opportunity to represent
The Western Region in the National Semi-Finals on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera
SECOND PLACE – $3,000
CHANCE TENOR O’TOOLE 26 Tenor San Francisco District
THIRD PLACE – $2,000
ISOBEL ANTHONY 25 Soprano Los Angeles District
SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT – $1,500
EMERSON McALISTER 25 Soprano San Francisco District
Encouragement – $1,000 each
PETER BARBER 29 Bass-Baritone Los Angeles District
NATHAN BRYON 26 Tenor San Francisco District
VICTOR CARDAMONE 30 Tenor San Francisco
PHOEBE CHEE 24 Soprano San Francisco District
AGNESE GALLENZI 29 Soprano San Diego District
LYDIA GRINDATTO 27 Soprano San Francisco District
HOPE NELSON 25 Mezzo-Soprano San Francisco District
STEPHANIE PEREZ 29 Mezzo-Soprano Los Angeles District
MATTHEW PETERSON 30 Baritone Los Angeles District
LAFFONT FINALS COMPETITION
2023 GRAND NATIONAL WINNER
$20,000
ESTHER TONIA Soprano
2023 GRAND NATIONAL FINALIST
$10,000
CODY BOWERS Countertenor
THE 2022 – 2023 WESTERN REGION FINALS
Colburn School – Los Angeles
FIRST PLACE (Western Region) – $3,000*
ESTHER TONEA 27 Soprano San Diego District
CODY BOWERS 30 Countertenor Los Angeles District
*Plus the Mrs. Edgar Tobin National Award of $800 and the opportunity to represent the Western Region in the national Semi Finals, on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, April 24, 2022
SECOND PLACE (Western Region) – $2,000
LAUREANO QUANT 28 Baritone Los Angeles District
THIRD PLACE (Western Region) – $1,000
JOEL BALZUN 31 Baritone Los Angeles District
SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT – $750
TAYLOR SEE 23 Soprano San Francisco
ANTHONY LEON 24 Tenor Los Angeles
ENCOURAGEMENT – $500
COREY HABLE 26 Countertenor San Diego
ELLEN LESLIE 30 Soprano San Francisco
PROSPER MAKHANYA 31 Bass Baritone San Francisco
TED PICKELL 30 Baritone San Diego
ERIN THEODORAKIS 26 Mezzo Soprano San Diego
KYLE TINGZON 27 Countertenor San Francisco
THE 2020 – 2021 WESTERN REGION FINALS
FEBRUARY 27, 2021 COLBURN SCHOOL, LOS ANGELES
2021 GRAND NATIONAL WINNER – $20,000
DUKE KIM
2021 NATIONAL FINALIST – $10,000
TIMOTHY MURRAY
FIRST PLACE (Western Region) – $3,500*
DUKE KIM 28 TENOR LOS ANGELES DISTRICT
TIMOTHY MURRAY 28 BARITONE SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT
*Plus the Mrs. Edgar Tobin National Award of $800 and the opportunity to represent the Western Region in the National Semi-Finals, on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, February 20, 2022
SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT – $1,000
TIFFANY CHOE 24 Soprano San Diego
LILA DUFY 28 Soprano San Francisco
LUNGA ERIE HALLAM 30 Tenor San Francisco
MARIA NOVELLA MALFATTI 27 Soprano Los Angeles
TSHILIDZI NDOU 28 Baritone San Francisco
JONATHAN BRYAN 29 Baritone Los Angeles
WHITNEY CAMPBELL 23 Soprano San Francisco
MERYL DOMINGUEZ 28 Soprano San Diego
GABRIELA FLORES 28 Mezzo Soprano Los Angeles
CARA GABRIELSON 29 Soprano San Diego
MICHAEL J. HAWK 26 Baritone Los Angeles
ANTHONY LEON 24 Tenor Los Angeles
TED ALLEN PICKELL 29 Base-Baritone San Diego
THE 2019 – 2020 WESTERN REGION FINALS
COLBURN SCHOOL, LOS ANGELES
2020 GRAND NATIONAL FINALIST
CHASITI LASHAY WALKER
FIRST PLACE –$3,800*
BEN BRADY 29 BASS-BARITONE LOS ANGELES DISTRICT
CHASITI LASHAY WALKER 27 SOPRANO SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT
*Plus the Mrs. Edgar Tobin National Award of $800 and the opportunity to represent the Western Region in the National Semi-Finals, on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, February 24, 2020.
SECOND PLACE –$2,000
SIMONE CHANTAL MCINTOSH 28 Mezzo-Soprano San Francisco
THIRD PLACE –$1,500
JOEL BALZUN 29 Baritone Los Angeles
TED ALLEN PICKELL 28 Bass-Baritone San Francisco
SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT –$1,000
HANNAH ROSE KIDMAN 24 Soprano San Diego
SIGRUN LOPEZ JACK 26 Mezzo-Soprano Los Angeles
ENCOURAGEMENT – $500
JOVAHNNA A. ANDERSON 30 Soprano San Diego
NATALIE BUICKIANS 29 Soprano Los Angeles
GABRIELA FLORES 27 Mezzo-Soprano Los Angeles
RICARDO GARCIA 27 Tenor San Francisco
JAMES ROBERT HAYDEN 28 Los Angeles
ANDREW KONOPAK 27 Baritone San Diego
ELLEN LESLIE 28 Soprano San Francisco
What a wonderful array of singers we heard!
And, speaking of singing, we must now take a moment
to sing YOUR praises.
Without your invaluable support,
these auditions wouldn’t have happened,
these singers wouldn’t have had an opportunity to take wing…
2018-2019 Western Region Finals
– FIRST PLACE –Nicholas Newton bass baritone
Joshua lee Wheeker tenor
First Place Region Winners also receive $800 Mrs. Edgar Tobin National Award*
*This is a National Award provided by the Tobin Endowment.
– SECOND PLACE –
Taylor Haines soprano
Emmett M. O’Hanlon baritone
Erica Pretrocelli soprano
– SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT –
Hannah Rose Kidwell soprano
ENCOURAGEMENTS – $400 each
Joel Balzun baritone
Ben Hayes Brady bass baritone
Thomas Rafled Cilluffo tenor
Andrew Konopak baritone
Ellen Leslie soprano
Niru Liu mezzo soprano
Anastacia Malliaras soprano
Raphaella Medina mezzo soprano
Anna Pflieger mezzo soprano
2017-2018 Western Region Finals
2018 Grand National Winner
Carlos Enrique Santelli
First Place ($3,800*) – Julie Metzler, Age 27, Soprano, Los Angeles District
First Place ($3,800*) – Carlos Enrique Santelli, Age 26, Tenor, Los Angeles District
*First Place Region Winners also receive $800 Mrs. Edgar Tobin National Award
Second Place ($2,000) – Joshua Wheeker, Age 28, Tenor, Los Angeles District
Third Place ($1,000) – Katherine Beck, Age 27, Mezzo-Soprano, San Francisco District
Special Encouragement – $750
Brian Michael Moore, Age 25 – Tenor, Los Angeles District
Michelle Siemens, Age 26 – Mezzo-Soprano, Los Angeles District
Encouragement – $500
Zhengyi Bai, Age 27, Tenor, Los Angeles District
Mason Gates, Age 29, Tenor, San Francisco District
Tasha Koontz, Age 30, Soprano, San Diego District
(Stage Name – Andrea N. Lieberman)
Trevor Neal, Age 29, Baritone, – San Francisco District
Ted Pickell, Age 26, Bass-Baritone, San Diego District
Taylor Raven, Age 26, Mezzo-Soprano, Los Angeles District
Tamara-Lynn Richards, Age 29, Soprano, Nevada District
Congcong Wang, Age 27, Soprano, San Francisco District
Mariah Wilcox, Age 26, Soprano, Nevada District
2016-2017 Western Region Finals
First Place ($4,800*) – Summer Hassan, Age 27, Soprano, Los Angeles District
First Place ($4,800*) – Natalie Image, Age 24, Soprano, San Francisco District
*First Place Region Winners also receive $800 Mrs. Edgar Tobin National Award
Will represent Western Region in the National Semi-Finals on the Met stage, March 12, 2017
Second Place ($2,500) – Liv Redpath, Age 24, Soprano, Los Angeles District
Third Place ($1,000) – Ted Pickell, Age 25, Bass Baritone, San Diego District
Special Encouragement – $750
Julia Metzler, Age 26 – Soprano – Los Angeles District
Colette Roberts, Age 23 – Soprano – Arizona District
Encouragement Awards – $500
Arnold Livingston Geis, Age 27, Tenor, Los Angeles District
Shabnam Kalbasi, Age 28, Mezzo Soprano, San Diego District
Ellen Leslie, Age 25, Soprano, San Francisco District
Danielle Palomares, Age 28, Soprano – Los Angeles District
Colin Ramsey, Age 27, Bass Baritone, San Francisco District
Josephyne Santos, Age 21, Soprano, Arizona District
Rehanna Thelwell, Age 25, Mezzo Contralto, Arizona District
Brad Walker, Age 28, Bass Baritone, San Francisco District
Asleif Willmer, Age 26, Soprano, Arizona District
Alyssa Wills, Age 27, Soprano, Los Angeles District
2015-2016 Western Region Met Auditions
2016 Grand National Winner – Yelena Dyachek
First Place ($5,000) – Yelena Dyachek, Age 24, Soprano, Los Angeles District
*First Place Region Winners also receive $800 Mrs. Edgar Tobin National Award
Will represent the Western Region in the
National Semi Finals on Met Stage, March 6, 2016
Second Place ($4,000) – Rehanna Thelwell, Age 24, Mezzo Contralto, Arizona District
Third Place ($3,000) – Alyssa Martin, Age 26, Mezzo, Arizona District
Special Encouragement – $1,500
Andrew Dwan, Age 24, Bass-Baritone, San Francisco District
Duke Kim, Age 23, Tenor, Los Angeles District
Nicholas Newton , Age 22, Baritone San Diego District
Encouragement Awards – $1000
Chris Carr, Age 27, Tenor, Arizona District
Kristen Choi, Age 28, Mezzo, San Diego District
Molly Hill Age 27, Mezzo, Los Angeles District
Mariya Kaganskayam, Age 24, Mezzo, San Francisco District
Joseph Lattanzi, Age 28, Baritone, Arizona District
Abigail Levis, Age 28, Mezzo, San Diego District
Julia Metzler, Age 25, Soprano, Los Angeles District