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Williams Desbiens (2025) - French-Canadian baritone William Desbiens, from Québec City, Canada, is a current member of the Hamburg State Opera’s International Opera Studio. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree at the Mannes School of Music in New York, studying under Arthur Levy.A former emerging artist with the Mascarade Emerging Artist Program in Florence, Italy (2021–2024), Mr. Desbiens has performed the role of Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia in Germany and Austria.During the 2024–2025 season at the Hamburg State Opera, the young baritone appeared in nine different productions, including Killian in a new production of Der Freischütz, Saretzky in Eugene Onegin, and Dr. Pulski in Unsuk Chin’s new work Die dunkle Seite des Mondes, among others.Mr. Desbiens also participated in the Voice Experience and Opera as Drama programs under the renowned baritone Sherrill Milnes. In 2020, he received an Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was a finalist in the 2021 edition of CIOpera – Paris Opera Competition.
Wallis Giunta (2011) - Irish-Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, winner of the 2018 International Opera Award for Young Singer of the Year, has been praised by Opera News for her “delectably rich, silver-toned mezzo-soprano.” In the 2024/25 season she makes major debuts at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Dinah in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, Teatro alla Scala as Lilian Holiday in Weill’s Happy End, the Tivoli Festival in Copenhagen in recital, and the Kölner Philharmonie in concert with Ensemble Modern. For the Vienna Volksoper, she will appear as Der Trommler in a new production of Mozart/Ullmann’s KaiserRequiem.
Highlights of her 2023/24 season included her Carnegie Hall debut in her signature role of Anna (Die sieben Todsünden), performances with the Wiener Symphoniker in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, as Dorabella with Opéra de Lausanne, as Carmen in Montreal, and in the Austrian premiere of John Adams’s The Gospel According to the Other Mary at the Volksoper, where she is a current ensemble member.
A graduate of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and The Juilliard School, Giunta is also a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts’ Bernard Diamant Prize and multiple awards from the George London Foundation.
Emma Kajander (2025) - Finnish-Swedish soprano Emma Kajander made her professional debut at the Finnish National Opera in 2024, singing the role of Christine Daaé in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. In the upcoming 2025–2026 season, she will make her house debut at the Royal Swedish Opera.For the 2024–2025 season, Kajander’s concert engagements include the Turku Music Festival, in collaboration with the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation; Handel’s Messiah with the Lappeenranta City Orchestra; and concerts with the Korsholm Chamber Orchestra and the Turku Academic Orchestra. She also recorded a world premiere for the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, featuring songs by Finnish female composers, together with pianist Tuula Hällström.In 2025, Kajander won first prize in Finland’s preeminent Lappeenranta Singing Competition, having previously won first prize at the international Havets Röst Competition in Åland in 2023. She was awarded the prestigious Martti Talvela Scholarship in 2024.Kajander has studied at the Helsinki Conservatory of Music with Hanna-Leena Haapamäki and at the Sibelius Academy with Outi Kähkönen. She has also studied with Irina Gavrilovici and participated in masterclasses with, among others, Camilla Nylund, Karita Mattila, and Malcolm Martineau.
Eva Rae Martinez (2024) - The Colombian-American soprano Eva Rae Martinez studied at the Manhattan School of Music and completed a master’s degree at the Yale School of Music. At Yale, she sang leading roles such as Iolanta (Iolanta), Anne Trulove (The Rake’s Progress), and the Countess (Le nozze di Figaro). At the Manhattan School of Music, she appeared as a soloist in works including Mozart’s and Fauré’s Requiems and Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915.
In November 2024, Rae Martinez made her Carnegie Hall debut as the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana. She was also a finalist in the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition, received a Richard F. Gold Career Grant, and won an Encouragement Award in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Beginning in the 2025–2026 season, Rae Martinez will join the Dutch National Opera Studio, with her position supported by the New York Opera Foundation.
Hongrui Ren (2025) - Tenor Hongrui Ren earned his Bachelor’s degree from the Central Conservatory of Music in China and is currently studying at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Described by Opera News as “a liquid-toned tenor with good agility,” he continues to gain recognition for his artistry.His most recent performances include Rodolfo in La Bohème and the Duke in Rigoletto in the Manetti Shrem Opera Scenes Concert at the Charles Krug Winery Stage as a Festival Napa Valley Artist. In March 2024, he sang the role of The Father in Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins and Monsieur Lacouf in Francis Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra at the Philadelphia Film Center.Other recent highlights include Händel’s oratorio L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato in November 2023, and the Ariadne auf Naxos quintet “Die Dame gibt mit trübem Sinn” with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin in October 2023 at Verizon Hall.
Gosh Sargsyan (2024) - Armenian bass Gosh Sargsyan, 27 years old, is a soloist at the Armenian National Opera and Ballet, where his stage repertoire includes Colline La Bohème, Timur Turandot, Nerses Arsace secondo, and Dulcamara L’elisir d’amore.He is scheduled to appear in a staged production of Verdi’s Requiem at the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest and as Timur Turandot at the Teatr Wielki Poznań.A former member of Armenia’s Young Artist Program, Sargsyan made his debut as Il Commendatore in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. His talent has been recognized in international competitions, with recent distinctions including First Prize at the SOI Fiorenza Cedolins Competition in Italy (2023), finalist at the Concert of Arias at the Houston Grand Opera (2023), finalist at the Ottavio Ziino Competition in Rome (2022) and at the Belvedere Competition (2025).
Etina Saulite (2025) - Etīna Emīlija Saulīte is a nineteen-year-old soprano from Latvia who began her career last year after becoming a finalist and prize winner in the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition. Since then, she has made her debut on the Latvian National Opera and Ballet stage in the 2024/2025 season’s opening gala concert. She also gave a solo recital of Debussy songs in one of Latvia’s leading concert halls.Following her competition success, Etīna appeared as one of the soloists in the concert Dzimuši Latvijā, where she collaborated with renowned tenor Aleksandrs Antoņenko and conductor Ainārs Rubiķis. In the winter of last year, she won the Inessa Galante Foundation competition Ineses Galantes talanti, and in February of this year, she was awarded first prize at the 1st International Vocal Competition VOX IUVENTAE.Throughout this year, Etīna has been nominated for multiple Latvian music and cultural awards. She is also currently in her second season as a member of the Latvian National Opera Chorus.