Rochester, Michigan, soprano Anna Thompson earned a spot in San Francisco's 2026 Merola Opera Program, a highly selective training program for young opera singers where fewer than 2 percent of applicants are accepted.
She will take the stage at the War Memorial Opera House on Saturday, August 15.
Thompson was chosen from more than 1,500 international applicants, according to the Merola Opera Program's official website. She is one of 28 emerging artists in this summer's cohort.
She has already been performing with the program this summer. A San Francisco Chronicle review of Merola's production of "La Tragédie de Carmen," which ran Thursday, July 9 through July 11 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, called her voice "bright" and "clear" in the role of Micaëla.
A breakout year
The Merola selection caps a remarkable stretch for Thompson. On March 22, the Metropolitan Opera announced her as one of six winners of the 2026 Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition, which drew more than 1,700 applicants across 13 regions and 39 districts. Each winner received a $20,000 cash prize, according to the Met's press release.
The Laffont field was the largest in the competition's history, with more than 900 singers competing live.
Thompson holds a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music from Rice University. She is a resident artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.
Her recent roles include Countess Almaviva in "The Marriage of Figaro," the title role of "Alcina," and Marie Antoinette in John Corigliano's "The Ghosts of Versailles." She has also debuted at Carnegie Hall with the American Symphony Orchestra performing Bristow's Niagara Symphony.
Beyond Merola, Thompson's competition honors include the top prize at the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition, a George and Nora London Foundation Award, and a Sullivan Foundation Award. She is an alumna of the Santa Fe Opera's apprentice program and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis's Gerdine Young Artist Program.
Grand Finale details
The Merola Grand Finale concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 15, at the War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. The program spans opera, song, and musical theater, with works by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, and Donizetti performed in seven languages. Conductor William Long leads the evening, with stage direction by Claire Choquette.
An optional post-show reception at the Wilsey Center for Opera costs $85 with a separate ticket. Tickets are available at merola.org.
