April 25, 2022

Bass-baritone Le Bu (BM ’22), from Yancheng, China (in photo, fourth from right), is one of 10 finalists in the Met Opera’s 2022 Laffont Competition Grand Finals Concert, taking place on May 1.

Some of today’s greatest singers got their start in the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition (previously the National Council Auditions), including Renée Fleming, MSM alumna Susan Graham (MM ’87, HonDoc ’08), Eric Owens (HonDMA ’16), Stephanie Blythe, Hei-Kyung Hong, Lawrence Brownlee, Michael Fabiano, Lisette Oropesa, Christian Van Horn, Jamie Barton, MSM alumnus and trustee Anthony Roth Costanzo (MM ’08), and Nadine Sierra.

The 2022 Finalists compete for cash prizes and the chance to launch a major operatic career while accompanied by the Met Orchestra, conducted by Marco Armiliato.

The national finalists are:

Rachel Blaustein, soprano
Le Bu, bass-baritone (BM ’22)
Matthew Cairns, tenor
Jonas Jud, bass
Daniel O’Hearn, tenor
Alexandra Razskazoff, soprano
Maggie Reneé, mezzo-soprano
Julie Roset, soprano
Anne Marie Stanley, mezzo-soprano
Esther Tonea, soprano

This event will be broadcast on Met Opera Radio (SiriusXM channel 75) and streamed live on the Met website.

Le Bu’s primary teacher at MSM is renowned bass-baritone James Morris. He has been coached by MSM Collaborative Piano faculty member Warren Jones, and has also worked at MSM with Kenneth Merrill and Thomas Muraco.

Bu has participated in the Merola Opera Program, the Aspen Music Festival and School, and iSING! International Young Artist Festival. In 2018, he was a winner of the Barbara Rondelli Kansas Statewide Classical Voice Competition—Midwest Region.