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Lawrence University alumna Emily Richter has been named a winner of the 2024 Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. The competition, known for launching the careers of opera stars such as Denyce Graves, Renée Fleming, and Lawrence Brownlee, selected Richter as one of five winners from ten finalists who performed at the Met Opera's Grand Finals Concert on March 17.

Richter, a soprano and a 2020 graduate from Lawrence's Conservatory of Music, performed two arias at the concert accompanied by the Met Orchestra under conductor Evan Rogister. "This has been my dream for so many years," Richter said while traveling back to Pittsburgh. She expressed her gratitude and excitement about performing with the orchestra.

Her education includes a music performance degree from Lawrence University and a master's degree from McGill University's Schulich School of Music. Reflecting on her time at Lawrence, Richter said, "I’m so grateful for my time at Lawrence that didn’t just teach me how to sing but taught me how to feel and think deeply about the world."

Richter will join Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Center Ensemble in May. "I couldn’t be more thrilled," she stated regarding this upcoming opportunity.

Alongside Richter, tenor Daniel Espinal, soprano Lydia Grindatto, baritone Navasard Hakobyan, and mezzo-soprano Meridian Prall were also named winners. The award includes a $20,000 cash prize along with significant prestige in the opera community.

The competition operates across districts and regions in North America before finalists reach the Grand Finals Concert stage. Now in its 70th year, it was formerly known as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

During her senior year at Lawrence University in 2020, Richter performed as Countess in The Marriage of Figaro. This role contributed to earning Lawrence a national honor in the 2021 American Prize Awards.

Copeland Woodruff, director of opera studies at Lawrence University described Richter as a "rock star" during her time there. He praised her curiosity and warm spirit: "I could not be happier for her... I am lucky to have learned alongside her."

Richter's career includes performances with Pittsburgh Opera where she portrayed roles such as Iphigénie en Tauride's title character and Ginevra in Ariodante. At McGill University she sang Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and played Governess in The Turn of the Screw. Additionally, she covered Micaëla in Carmen at Santa Fe Opera and debuted with Seattle Symphony as a soloist in Handel's Messiah.