Singer performing on stage with piano — Elizabeth Hanje showed enormous potential as soon as she began classical voice training. (Michael Bishop / Houston Grand Opera)

A 23-year-old Vestavia Hills native has advanced to the grand finals of one of the U.S.’s most prestigious opera programs

Elizabeth Hanje is one of just 10 finalists in The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition — this year, more than 1,400 applicants were considered — which “is designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers.”

She is set to perform in the final stage of the competition Sunday, March 22 at The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.

Discovering natural talent

Hanje, who attended Vestavia Hills High School, began classical voice training when she was about 15 years old, according to a 2019 article from ABC 33/40.

Almost instantly, she was winning state and regional-level competitions. Her voice coach said she had never seen a student so young excel as quickly as Hanje.

She went on to study at Oberlin Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College in Ohio, the oldest continually-operating conservatory in the U.S. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in 2024.

Turning a passion into a career

Two characters in a dramatic scene. — Demetrious Sampson Jr. and Elizabeth Hanje (Lynn Lane / Houston Grand Opera)

In 2024, Hanje was the first-place winner of the Houston Grand Opera’s (HGO) Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias, earning her a spot in the Sarah and Ernest Butler Studio.

“We at Houston Grand Opera and the Butler Studio are incredibly proud of Elizabeth Hanje’s accomplishment. At just 23, she is already distinguishing herself as an exciting emerging soprano on the international stage.

“Elizabeth has a remarkable vocal instrument and a natural musical intelligence, and it has been a joy to watch her artistry grow. We are thrilled to cheer her on in the Laffont competition finals at the Metropolitan Opera on Sunday and excited for audiences at the Met and around the world to hear her extraordinary voice.”
HGO team on Elizabeth Hanje’s finalist status at The Met

She has performed in several productions at HGO, including:

Porgy and Bess
Suor Angelica (II trittico)
Silent Night
Hansel and Gretel

More recently, the Tanzanian-American soprano participated in the 2025 Apprentice Program for Singers at the Santa Fe Opera, where she walked away with the Outstanding First-Year Apprentice Award.

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