The Dallas Opera Unveils Winners Of 2026 National Vocal Competition

The Dallas Opera has announced the winners of the 2025–2026 Dallas Opera National Vocal Competition following the live finals held March 6 at the Winspear Opera House. Bass-baritone Christian Van Horn, currently appearing in DON CARLO, hosted the event.

First prize went to bass-baritone Tzvi Bat Asherah, who performed “Ves tabar spit” from Aleko. Tenor Nathan Bowles placed second for his performance of “Durch die Wälder” from Der Freischütz, while soprano Anna Thompson received third place for “Glück das mir verblieb” from Die tote Stadt. Asherah also received the Jonathan Pell People’s Choice Award, determined by audience vote.

The final round featured 10 singers performing one aria each accompanied by The Dallas Opera Orchestra. Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director Emmanuel Villaume conducted. Repertoire included works by composers such as Verdi, Massenet, Donizetti, Wagner, and Mozart.

The finalists included bass-baritone Tzvi Bat Asherah, tenor Nathan Bowles, mezzo-soprano Meg Brilleslyper, soprano Lauryn Davis, mezzo-soprano Deanna Ray Eberhart, soprano Sophia Hunt, mezzo-soprano Kayla Nanto, soprano Luna Seongeun Park, soprano Anna Thompson, and baritone Yihe Wang.

The winners were selected by a panel chaired by The Dallas Opera Artistic Consultant David Lomelí. Judges included The Dallas Opera Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO Ian Derrer, San Francisco Opera Artistic Managing Director Gregory Henkel, Warner Classics & Erato Chairman Emeritus Alain Lanceron, and Wolf Trap Opera Vice President Lee Anne Myslewski.

A total of 381 singers applied for the 34th annual competition. Kayla Nanto advanced directly to the final round after winning the 2025 Lone Star Vocal Competition. Cash prizes included $10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second place, $2,500 for third place, and $1,000 for the People’s Choice Award.

ABOUT THE WINNERS

Tzvi Bat Asherah

Bass-baritone Tzvi Bat Asherah is completing a Master of Music degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he studies with Robin Rice. He previously earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of New Mexico in 2024. Asherah placed third at the 2025 Butler Opera International Competition and performs Ford in Rice University’s production of Verdi’s Falstaff this spring. Upcoming appearances include Plutone in Monteverdi’s Orfeo with Ars Lyrica Houston and Zaretsky in Eugene Onegin as part of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist program. Recent performances include the title role in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, the English Ambassador in John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles, and Donner in Wagner’s Das Rheingold, as well as Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro and Papageno in The Magic Flute.

Nathan Bowles

Tenor Nathan Bowles is an alumnus of the LA Opera Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program. This season he makes his role debut as Canio in Pagliacci with Pacific Opera Project and appears in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Minot Symphony Orchestra. During his time with LA Opera, he performs roles including the First Armored Man in The Magic Flute, Dr. Caius in Falstaff, and Parpignol in La bohème, and he appears with the Los Angeles Symphony at Walt Disney Concert Hall for a gala honoring Korea’s Independence. Recent credits include Don José in La tragédie de Carmen with Tulsa Opera, Borsa in Rigoletto and Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet with LA Opera, and appearances with Santa Fe Opera and The Dallas Opera’s education programs. Bowles was a finalist in the 2025 Operalia competition, a 2024 national finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition, and a 2024 Richard F. Gold Career Grant recipient.

Anna Thompson

Soprano Anna Thompson is a Resident Artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts. She holds a Master of Music from Rice University and a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music. Her recent roles include Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, Countess Madeleine in Capriccio, Alcina in Alcina, Marie Antoinette in The Ghosts of Versailles, and the title role in Suor Angelica. Thompson has also covered roles including Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia, and Mary Johnson in Fellow Travelers. She recently made her Carnegie Hall debut with the American Symphony Orchestra performing Bristow’s Niagara Symphony and appeared at the Bard Music Festival in Mariken de Nimègue. Thompson was named a 2026 national semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition and received a 2025 Sullivan Foundation Award. She previously participated in the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist program and the Gerdine Young Artist Program at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and she joins the Merola Opera Program next summer.