Vestavia Hills opera singer among 6 winners of Met Opera competition

After being named a finalist last week, 23-year-old Vestavia Hills native Elizabeth Hanje was named a winner of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

The final competition took place Sunday, March 22 at The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, and just six winners were chosen to receive $20,000.

At the beginning of the annual, internationally-lauded Laffont Competition, there was a pool of over 1,700 applicants, and more than 900 qualifying singers.

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Elizabeth Hanje’s current career

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.”

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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